SANAA, Yemen

At least four people were killed and 49 others injured in Israeli airstrikes on the western Yemeni city of Al Hudaydah on Sunday, the Houthi group said.

The Houthi-run Al-Masirah channel said “four martyrs fell, including a worker at Al Hudaydah port and three engineers at the power station, along with 49 injured in an initial toll of the Israeli aggression on the governorate."

Rescue and emergency teams are still searching for missing persons under the rubble of the Al-Hali power station, it added.

Footage posted on social media showed smoke rising from the area.

"In a large-scale aerial operation today (Sunday), dozens of aircraft hit military targets of the Houthi group in the Ras Issa and Al Hudaydah regions of Yemen," the Israeli military said in a statement.

It added that “power generation stations and a seaport used for weapon transfers” were hit.

The attack was a response to recent attacks carried out by the Houthis against Israel, the military said.

Regional tensions have escalated due to Israel’s brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has killed nearly 41,600 people, mostly women and children, following a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023.

The conflict spread to Lebanon with Israel launching deadly strikes across the country, which have killed more than 800 people and injured over 2,500 others since Sept. 23.

Several Hezbollah commanders were killed in the Israeli onslaught, including its leader Hassan Nasrallah.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala