Houthi rebels in Yemen attacked a Saudi Arabian oil tanker on Tuesday March 3, off Hodeidah, Yemen. The Houthis said that this attack was made to avenge a Saudi aerial assault on Hodeidah; the only Yemeni port that Houthis control.
International sources reported that Saudi Arabia confirmed that the oil tanker, whose name is not known, was attacked by the Houthis.
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The tanker was sailing in international waters off Hodeidah, the Saudi coalition spokesman, Col. Turki al-Malki said. Mr. al-Malki did not reveal the damages that the ship sustained, but characterized the attack as a “serious threat to the maritime navigation and international trade” in the region.
A Saudi-coalition warship escorted the tanker, but it is possible that fuel might be leaking.
According to the Saudi-led coalition, the attack on Hodeidah aimed military targets. From their part, the Houthis do not have air force, but they repeatedly fire missiles into Saudi Arabia.
The Arab coalition proceeded to pause a three-week blockade in Yemeni ports, which had been imposed when the Houthis movement fired a ballistic missile toward the Saudi capital Riyadh.
On Saturday March 31, fire erupted at the Port of Hodeidah, which destroyed warehouses, filled with cooking fuel and food supplies the port workers informed.
The Port of Hodeidah is crucial for the country. Through the port, fuel is transported, which is vital for the operation of water and sanitation stations, in order to prevent diseases
Yemen is hit by humanitarian crisis as 8.3 million people are entirely dependent on external food aid and 400,000 children suffer from acute malnutrition, a condition that can be proven fatal for their life.
