Twelve people were killed and over 100 others were injured in an explosion at a natural gas refilling station in Yemen's al-Bayda province, two officials told AFP on Sunday.

The explosion occurred on Saturday at the storage facility of a refilling station in the Al-Zaher area. A local official added that "the gas refilling station exploded while customers were present" noting that its proximity to a market significantly contributed to the high casualty count.

Videos shared on social media, although not verified, showed flames engulfing numerous cars near the station. The cause of the explosion has not been disclosed yet. 

The explosion followed an operation carried out by the Yemeni Armed Forces targeting the American aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman and a number of its accompanying warships.

In December, approximately six Israeli airstrikes hit the Hodeidah port and the Ras Issa oil facility in western Yemen, resulting in the killing of nine people and injuries to several others among the facility’s staff.

The correspondent further noted that Israeli strikes targeted the central Dahban power station in northern Sanaa. Later, he indicated that civil defense teams successfully extinguished the fire at the Dahban station, while efforts continued to put out a blaze at another facility.

Local Yemeni sources confirmed that three airstrikes targeted the power station in the Hezyaz area south of Sanaa.

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