The statement by the Houthis' armed forces came after Iran launched, in retaliation, a barrage of missiles at Israel late on Tuesday.

"The missile force of the Yemeni Armed Forces carried out a military operation targeting military sites deep inside the Zionist entity (Israel) in occupied Palestine with three Quds 5 cruise missiles," the statement said.

"The missiles were able to successfully reach their targets amid the enemy's secrecy about the results of the operation."

The timing of the Houthis' attack was not clear. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli army.

Last week, the rebels said they fired a missile at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, prompting Israeli air strikes on war-torn Yemen including the vital port of Hodeida.

The Houthis, who have controlled large swathes of Yemen for a decade, are part of the regional "axis of resistance" against Israel and the United States.

Since November, they have been attacking shipping off their coast in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden in solidarity with Palestinians under brutal Israeli war on Gaza.

* This story was edited by Ahram Online.