Death toll rises to 6 from Israeli airstrikes on Yemeni capital

SANAA, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- The death toll rose to six from Israeli airstrikes on Yemen's capital Sanaa, with 86 others wounded, the Houthi-run health ministry said Monday.

Seven children and three women are among the injured, and 21 are in critical condition, said the ministry in a statement. Houthis officials told Xinhua Sunday night that the toll could increase, as several of the wounded remain in critical condition.

The strikes, carried out Sunday afternoon, targeted fuel and power stations, the presidential palace complex and other civilian facilities, according to the Houthis.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed in a statement that an air attack was carried out in Yemen.

The military said the sites included the presidential palace, the Asar and Hizaz power plants and a fuel storage facility, which it said were being used for military activity.

Israeli state-owned Kan TV reported that 14 warplanes took part in the attack, dropping about 40 bombs in the area.

In a statement issued Sunday evening, the Houthi group accused Israel of "brutal aggression" against civilian facilities and held both Israel and the United States responsible for what it described as a "heinous crime."

The Houthis vowed to strike back in retaliation.

The strikes came two days after the Houthis fired a hypersonic ballistic missile at Tel Aviv, damaging houses with shrapnel but causing no deaths.

The Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen, including Sanaa and Hodeidah port, have launched repeated attacks on Israel since November 2023, in support of Palestinians in Gaza. Israel has retaliated with airstrikes on Houthi-held areas. ■