US military strikes Yemen s Ras Isa fuel port at least 17 killed

WASHINGTON - US strikes on a Yemeni fuel port killed at least 80 people, Houthi rebels said on April 18, in the deadliest attack of Washington’s 15-month campaign against the Iran-backed group.

The strikes on Ras Issa aimed to cut off supplies and funds for the rebels that control large swathes of the Arabian Peninsula’s poorest country, the US military said.

Images broadcast by a Houthi-run television channel showed large blazes lighting up the night sky following the latest in an intensified barrage of attacks under US President Donald Trump.

Houthi health ministry spokesman Anees Alasbahi said rescuers were still searching for bodies at the fuel terminal on the Red Sea, suggesting the number of dead could rise.

The rebels’ Al-Masirah TV, citing local officials, said the toll from the strike had “risen to 80 dead and 150 wounded”.

The Houthis later announced missile attacks targeting Israel and two US aircraft carriers. Israel’s military said on April 18 it had intercepted a missile launched from Yemen.

Protesters chanting “Death to America! Death to Israel!” gathered in rebel-held cities around the country, including at a major demonstration in the capital Sanaa.

“The American military buildup and continued aggression against our country will only lead to more counterattack and attack operations, clashes and confrontations,” Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree told the crowd in Sanaa.

‘Signal to Tehran’

The strikes on April 17 came as the United States prepares to resume negotiations with Iran over its nuclear programme in Rome on April 19, following warnings that Tehran is getting closer to building an atomic weapon.

“The military actions in Yemen are clearly sending a signal to Tehran,” Mr Mohammed Albasha, a US-based consultant, told AFP.

The US military has hammered the Houthis with near-daily air strikes for the past month in a bid