Saudi Forces Launch Airstrike on Port of Ras Isa, Yemen
Yemen's Houthi rebels have reported a Saudi airstrike on the port at Ras Isa, a petroleum product terminal located northwest of Hodeidah and a repeat target for retaliatory attacks by the Houthis' enemies.
According to top Houthi health official Dr. Anees Alasbahi, four people were injured in a strike on the docks at Ras Isa. Three more were injured in a strike on a tank farm in the Bajil district, northeast of Hodeidah, Alasbahi said.
"Attacks on oil facilities and vital ports represent a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and add to the series of war crimes in Yemen that target civilians and infrastructure," he said.
Maritime security consultancy Vanguard Tech reports that at least two commercial vessels were reportedly targeted, one of which was likely a 32-year-old freighter. The extent of any damages was not immediately clear. Vanguard also reported a second round of airstrikes at the port, this time aimed at trucks on the piers.
Saudi forces have not confirmed the strikes, but have been engaged in a back-and-forth with Houthi forces in recent weeks: the militants have launched repeated drone and missile strikes at Saudi infrastructure, with considerable effect. Online reports circulating Sunday showed an apparent Houthi drone strike on an industrial site at Dammam, Saudi Arabia, about 700 miles away from Houthi-held territory.
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Saudi Arabia's finances are under pressure from the weight of Houthi and Iranian attacks, according to the Wall Street Journal. Official statistics show a 20 percent drop in oil and gas activities in the third quarter, and a 3.8 percent economic contraction. The numbers may well worsen in the fourth quarter, given the active and ongoing strike campaign waged by the Houthis.
