'Explosions' at Yemeni port after Israel issues evacuation warning
The blasts came after the Israeli military issued an evacuation warning for people at three Yemeni ports - Hodeidah, Ras Issa, and Salif - as well as the Ras al Khatib power station.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said it would carry out airstrikes on those areas due to "military activities being carried out there".
An IDF spokesperson said: "For your safety, we urge all those present in the specified areas, as well as ships anchored nearby, to evacuate immediately."
Earlier in the day, a ship was reportedly set on fire after being attacked in the Red Sea.
The assault, off the southwest coast of Yemen, resembled that of the Houthi militant group, said a private security company.
It was the first such incident reported in the vital shipping corridor since mid-April.
Maritime security sources said the vessel, identified as the Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned bulk carrier Magic Seas, had taken on water after being hit by sea drones.
The crew abandoned the ship.
Please refresh the page for the latest version.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Methane gas kills 12 Turkish soldiers in Iraq operation
Twelve Turkish soldiers have died after being exposed to methane gas while searching a cave in Iraq, the Turkish Ministry of National Defence said. At least 19 personnel were exposed to the gas during the search and clear operation on Sunday, and immediately taken to Monday 12 soldiers had died, the ministry troops were searching for the body of a soldier who was killed in gunfire in May 2022. The ministry said despite efforts the remains have still not been recovered.
The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
British teenager jailed in Dubai for sex with 17-year-old freed after royal pardon
A British teenager jailed in Dubai for having sex with a 17-year-old girl is back in the UK after being freed by a royal pardon. Markus Fakana, now 19, was on holiday in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in August 2024 when he struck up a holiday romance with the British girl who was staying at the same hotel. The girl's mother reported him, who was 18 at the time, to local authorities after discovering messages between the teenagers. Mr Fakana, from Tottenham, north London, was jailed for several months after being sentenced to serve a year in prison last December. But he has now released and returned to the UK on Thursday 3 July, after receiving a royal pardon from Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, campaign group Detained in Dubai said Detained in Dubai chief executive Radha Stirling said: 'It all happened so fast and he was nervous until the plane left the tarmac. 'We are relieved Marcus was released early from his one year long prison sentence. He's currently recovering from the ordeal.' In an official statement, Ms Stirling added: 'Marcus should never have been put through this. He was supposed to spend a short few days with his family but ended up spending nearly a year in the tourist destination.' The UAE has only recently made sex outside of marriage legal for tourists, but under UAE law the 17-year-old girl was a minor and her mother, her legal guardian, reportedly filed the complaint against Mr Fakana. Mr Fakana claimed he was unaware the girl, who is also from London and has since turned 18, was months younger than him when they first met. In the UK, the age of consent for sexual activity is 16. He was serving his sentence at the Al Aweer jail, which is also known as the Dubai Central Prison for Men, before his release. The prison houses death row inmates and some of Dubai's worst criminals - including terrorists, murderers and rapists, according to reports. There were reports of poor food handling and inadequate general hygiene in special detention facilities for drug offenders. Media reports and NGOs stated some detainees in State Security Department custody did not receive adequate access to medical care. Speaking in temporary accommodation while on bail, last year, Mr Fakana told campaign group Detained in Dubai: 'My family and I are devastated and in shock. 'I never intended to break the law. It didn't occur to me at the time and for that, I'm sorry. I am asking His Highness, Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum to please forgive me and pardon me. Please give me my life back.'
Spectator
5 hours ago
- Spectator
Israel's campaign to destroy the Houthis has intensified
Last night, Israeli fighter jets struck multiple military targets belonging to the Houthi terrorist regime in Yemen, marking one of the most expansive and targeted responses to date. Among the sites hit were the ports of Al Hudaydah, Ras Isa, and Salif, as well as the Ras Kanatib power plant. The IDF confirmed that the Galaxy Leader, a commercial vessel seized by the Houthis in November 2023 and repurposed for terrorist use, was also among the targets struck. The Israeli military described the operation as a direct and forceful response to the repeated missile and drone attacks launched by the Houthis against Israeli territory. The Houthis, an Iranian-backed militia operating from northern Yemen, have fired dozens of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and armed drones at Israel since the outbreak of the war with Hamas on 7 October 2023. While many of these threats have been intercepted, several have reached Israeli territory, causing injuries, disruption, and, on at least one occasion, loss of life. This latest operation represents a new phase in Israel's strategy, directly confronting the Houthis' ability to launch long-range attacks and to use civilian infrastructure, including ports and energy facilities, for military purposes. The Israeli Air Force acted on intelligence gathered by the IDF Intelligence Directorate and the Israeli Navy, which revealed that these sites were being exploited for weapons transfers from Iran and for launching attacks against both Israeli territory and international maritime traffic. The campaign follows a sustained pattern of escalation by the Houthis. On 19 July last year, a Houthi drone struck an apartment building in Tel Aviv, killing one civilian and injuring several others. On 4 May this year, a ballistic missile fired from Yemen landed within the perimeter of Ben Gurion Airport, injuring eight and halting operations. A subsequent missile was intercepted over the same area days later, triggering renewed alarm and calls for a robust Israeli response. The Houthis have also conducted a campaign of maritime disruption in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait. More than 100 vessels have been attacked using a mix of drones, missiles, naval mines, and armed assaults. At least two commercial ships have been sunk, four civilian sailors killed, and one vessel, the Galaxy Leader, was hijacked and held for months, then turned into what Israel now identifies as a platform for terror activity. The most recent Houthi maritime assault, on 6 July, targeted the Magic Seas, a Greek-owned cargo vessel. The Houthis launched a coordinated, multi-pronged attack involving drones, missiles, and small arms fire, forcing the crew to abandon ship. Though the vessel had no verifiable Israeli link, the Houthis claimed responsibility, continuing their pattern of indiscriminate aggression under the guise of 'resistance'. Israel's 60 retaliatory strikes last night were as much strategic as symbolic. They targeted not only military infrastructure but also the logistical arteries that enable Iran's proxy war from Yemen. By striking at the Ras Kanatib power station and three key ports used to transfer weapons from Iran to the Houthis, Israel aimed to degrade the group's operational capacity and to send a clear message: use of civilian infrastructure for terrorist activity will not be tolerated. These events unfold against the backdrop of Israel's broader regional campaign against Iranian proxies. Over the past year, Israel has conducted a series of high-impact operations, including most recently its impressive strikes inside Iran, damaging key facilities in its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. Before that 12 day war, it also succeeded in undermining Hezbollah's operational capabilities through targeted assassinations, the disruption of supply routes in Lebanon, and the destruction of weapons stockpiles. In Syria, Israeli strikes rolled back Iran's efforts to establish a permanent military presence, dismantling command centres and ensuring the post-Assad regime could not rely on nearly as much capability against Israel. Israel's coordinated and multifront campaign to neutralise the threats posed by Iran's regional network, from Gaza and southern Lebanon to Syria, Iraq, and now Yemen, continues relentlessly. It has restored its military deterrence in the region, and continues to send a clear message to its hostile neighbours. Now it seems it is the turn of the Houthis, once viewed as a distant menace, to discover Israel's determination to eliminate its greatest threats.
