12 killed, 30 injured in US airstrikes on market in Yemen's capital: Houthis

Sanaa, April 21 (IANS) The death toll from fresh US airstrikes on a crowded market in Yemen's capital Sanaa has risen to 12, with at least 30 others wounded, Houthi-controlled health authorities said in a statement.

According to Houthi-run al-Masirah TV, the airstrikes targeted the Farwah market in the Shu'ub neighbourhood, one of the busiest markets in Sanaa. Rescue operations are ongoing, with teams searching for survivors and victims beneath the rubble.

The strikes were part of a broader wave of US airstrikes that hit multiple locations in and around Sanaa on Sunday, Xinhua news agency reported quoting Houthi media outlet.

The incident came days after the deadly US airstrikes on the Ras Isa fuel port in western Yemen late Thursday night that killed 80 people, wounded 170 others, and caused widespread damage to fuel storage infrastructure, leading to fuel spills into the Red Sea, according to local Houthi health officials.

Tensions between the Houthi group and the US military have escalated since Washington resumed airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen on March 15 to deter the group from attacking Israel and US warships in the Red Sea.

The Houthis, which control much of northern Yemen, said their attacks aim to press US-backed Israel to stop the offensive against the Gaza Strip and allow the entry of humanitarian aid into the Palestinian enclave.

--IANS

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