Sanaa.- Several airstrikes hit the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah on Friday, located on the Red Sea and under the control of Houthi rebels, according to eyewitnesses who spoke to EFE, coinciding with a second attack against a Saudi vessel following the blockade imposed by the insurgents.
Witnesses stated that multiple explosions shook the port area, with columns of smoke rising over the harbor.
The Al Masirah television channel, mouthpiece for the Houthis, later asserted that the “Saudi aggression” targeted several areas of the Hodeidah province, but did not specify if there were casualties or the extent of the damage.
In addition to the port and the city, the media outlet ensured that there were also a series of “Saudi airstrikes” that targeted facilities belonging to the Telecommunications Corporation, and against Kamaran Island, 60 kilometers northwest of Hodeidah.
Subsequently, the Saudi General Transport Authority indicated in a statement that the vessel NCC MASA, belonging to a Saudi company, suffered minor damage to its hull after being attacked while sailing through the Red Sea, but did not provide details about the perpetrator of the attack.
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Saudi coalition denies attacks against the port of Hodeidah
For its part, the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen confirmed it had carried out a “proportionate” military response against Houthi military targets in the Yemeni province of Hodeidah, in response to attacks by the Iran-backed rebels against its vessels in the Red Sea.
The coalition spokesperson, Major General Turki al-Malki, stated in a press release that the operation targeted “legitimate military objectives” linked to threats against merchant vessels and that it achieved its intended operational goals, while respecting international humanitarian law.
However, the coalition denied having attacked the port of Hodeidah, insisting that the facility, along with the ports of Ras Issa and Salif, remained open to commercial maritime traffic.
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“The port of Hodeidah was not attacked,” Al Malki clarified, adding that all Yemeni ports continued to receive food, fuel, goods, and construction materials.
The coalition accused the Houthis of carrying out a “cowardly and reckless” attack against merchant vessels in the Red Sea, labeling it an act of “maritime terrorism” in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
Al Malki stated that Saudi Arabia would continue to support the internationally recognized Yemeni government and warned that any further Houthi attacks would trigger additional military responses.
The growing tension in the Red Sea
The attacks on Hodeidah come amid rising regional tension after the Iran-backed Houthis announced a maritime blockade against Saudi shipping last week.
Since then, the Houthis have launched attacks against Saudi merchant vessels in the Red Sea, including ships operated by Saudi Arabia on Wednesday and this Friday.
The attacks have sparked widespread international condemnation, with the United Nations, the International Maritime Organization, and several governments warning that the attacks threaten freedom of navigation through one of the world’s busiest shipping corridors.
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The attacks against the Houthis in Yemen
Israel has repeatedly attacked the port of Hodeidah and other Houthi-controlled infrastructure over the last two years in response to missile and drone attacks launched by the Houthis in support of the Palestinians during the Gaza war.
The United States and the United Kingdom also carried out strikes against Houthi military targets in Yemen during the initial phases of the Red Sea crisis.
Hodeidah, the main Yemeni Red Sea port, handles the majority of imports and humanitarian aid entering Houthi-controlled areas, making it a strategic and sensitive target.
