Airstrikes hit Yemen's Hodeidah as Saudi ship attacked

Yemen's Red Sea port city of Hodeidah was rocked by multiple airstrikes on Friday, according to eyewitnesses who reported hearing explosions and seeing plumes of smoke rise over the port area. The strikes occurred concurrently with a second reported attack on a Saudi vessel in the Red Sea, following a maritime blockade imposed by the Houthi rebels.

Al Masirah television, a channel aligned with the Houthi movement, stated that "Saudi aggression" targeted several areas in Hodeidah province. While the report did not specify casualties or the extent of damage, it indicated that facilities belonging to the Telecommunications Corporation and the island of Kamaran, located northwest of Hodeidah, were also hit.

Saudi Arabia has not yet issued a statement regarding the Hodeidah strikes. However, the Saudi General Transport Authority later confirmed that the NCC MASA, a vessel owned by a Saudi company, sustained minor damage to its hull after being attacked in the Red Sea. Details about the perpetrator of this attack were not provided.

The attacks on Hodeidah come amid heightened regional tensions. The Iran-backed Houthis announced a maritime blockade against Saudi navigation last week, and have since launched attacks on Saudi merchant ships. These actions have drawn widespread international condemnation, with the United Nations and the International Maritime Organization warning of threats to freedom of navigation in a critical global shipping corridor.

Hodeidah, Yemen's primary Red Sea port, is a strategic and sensitive location as it handles the majority of imports and humanitarian aid destined for Houthi-controlled areas. Previous airstrikes by Israel and by the United States and the United Kingdom have targeted Houthi infrastructure in response to missile and drone attacks.

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The Saudi aggression targeted several areas of Hodeidah province.