Israeli army says intercepted missile launched from Yemen

AFP , Tuesday 13 May 2025

Israel's military said it intercepted a missile launched from Yemen on Tuesday, with AFP journalists reporting air raid sirens followed by explosions heard in the Jerusalem area.

Missile
The Israeli military said it had intercepted missile launched from Yemen, which was claimed by the Houthis. AFP

 

"Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in several areas in Israel, a missile launched from Yemen was intercepted," the military said in a statement, after earlier announcing it had "identified the launch of a missile from Yemen toward Israeli territory".

Yemen's Houthi rebels, who say they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians, have launched repeated attacks on Israel and shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since shortly after the October 2023 start of the Israeli war in the Gaza Strip.

In early May, the group struck the area of Israel's Ben Gurion airport, gouging a hole near its main terminal building and injuring several people, in a rare penetration of Israeli air defences.

Israel retaliated against the Houthis by striking the airport in Yemen's rebel-controlled capital Sanaa and three nearby power stations.

On Friday, the Israeli military said it had intercepted another missile launched from Yemen, which was claimed by the Houthis.

Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz vowed to "respond forcefully" following the attack.

Israel's military on Sunday issued a warning for Yemenis to leave three ports in areas controlled by the Houthi rebels, but no strikes have been reported since.

The United States, which launched a bombing campaign in response to Houthi threats to renew their attacks on shipping, last week reached a ceasefire agreement with the rebels, ended weeks of intense US strikes on the Houthi group.

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