Yemen’s Houthi rebels said Wednesday that the death toll from a U.S.-linked airstrike on Hodeida had climbed to eight, a day after the attack.
"The death toll of the American aggression in Hodeida rose to eight martyrs and 16 wounded, with rubble removal operations ongoing," the Houthis' Al-Masirah TV station said, quoting the Health Ministry.
On Tuesday, Health Ministry spokesperson Anis al-Asbahi had said four children and two women had been killed.
Houthi media said the strike had targeted a residential area in the Red Sea port city. On Tuesday night, an Agence France-Presse (AFP) journalist heard three loud blasts in succession.
Rebel-held areas of Yemen have seen near-daily strikes since Washington launched an air campaign against the Iran-backed Houthis on March 15 to force them to stop threatening vessels in key maritime routes.
Since then, the Houthis have also launched attacks targeting U.S. military ships and Israel, acting in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
The rebels began targeting ships transiting the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, as well as Israeli territory, after the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, later pausing their attacks during a January cease-fire.
Israel cut off all supplies to Gaza at the start of March and resumed its genocidal war on the Palestinian territory on March 18, ending the short-lived truce.
The new U.S. campaign followed Houthi threats to resume attacks on vessels over Israel's Gaza blockade.
The Houthi attacks crippled the vital Red Sea route, which normally carries about 12% of world shipping traffic, forcing many companies to make a much longer detour around the tip of southern Africa.
