Intercepted missile launched from Yemen, says Israeli military

Jerusalem, July 10 (IANS) The Israeli military said it has intercepted a missile launched from Yemen toward Israel in the early hours of Thursday, after air raid sirens sounded in several areas, including Tel Aviv.

Israel's Magen David Adom ambulance service said it had received no reports of injuries.

There was no immediate comment from the Houthi forces.

The missile launch came days after large-scale Israeli airstrikes on Sunday targeting Houthi-controlled sites, including three Red Sea ports, a power station and a ship.

Israel has conducted multiple strikes on key ports and infrastructure in Yemen in recent months, as the Houthis continue to fire missiles toward Israel, saying their attacks are an act of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, Xinhua news agency reported.

Earlier on July 7, Yemen's Houthi group had launched hypersonic ballistic missiles and drones on Israeli targets before dawn, four hours after Israeli warplanes and battleships had struck three Red Sea ports and a power station on Sunday midnight.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a statement aired by Houthi-run al-Masirah TV that the group launched eleven missiles and drones, with missiles targeting Ben Gurion Airport, the Ashdod Port, a power station in Ashkelon, and eight drones targeting the Eilat Port.

Sarea claimed that "the missiles and drones successfully reached their targets, and that the interceptor systems failed to intercept them."

The Houthi spokesperson said the group is "fully prepared for a sustained and prolonged confrontation," reaffirming that its attacks against Israel would continue until the "war on Gaza stops and the blockade is lifted."

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said that the Houthis had launched two missiles toward Israel on Monday, triggering sirens in Jerusalem, the Judean Desert, the Dead Sea area, and several settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Magen David Adom emergency service reported no injuries.

"Attempts were made to intercept the missiles, and the results of the interception are under review," said the Israeli military.

The retaliation attack came hours after Israeli fighter jets struck Houthi-controlled sites in Yemen, including the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Isa, and As Salif, and the Ras Qantib power station.

The strikes also targeted the Galaxy Leader Vessel, seized by the Houthis in November 2023. The IDF accused the Houthis of installing radar on the vessel to monitor ships in the Red Sea and claimed that the Houthis used those three civilian ports to smuggle Iranian missiles and drones that the Houthis fired against Israel.

Iran and the Houthis have repeatedly denied such allegations.

According to the IDF, about 20 jets fired more than 50 bombs and missiles in the operation.

Also on Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei strongly condemned Israel's strikes on Yemen, describing them as "flagrant crimes" against Yemen's people and the Arab state's economic and public infrastructure.

--IANS

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