Israel intercepts Yemen missiles after Houthis vow revenge for attack

The Israeli military said Wednesday it intercepted two missiles fired from Yemen, after the Houthi militia vowed to avenge the killing of its prime minister in an Israeli strike last week.

In two separate statements nearly 10 hours apart, the Israeli military said missiles launched from Yemen were intercepted, with air raid sirens activated both times.

According to the military, the earlier one was the first time a missile launch from Yemen had triggered sirens in Israel since Houthi prime minister Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser al-Rahawi and 11 other senior officials were killed in Israeli strikes on Yemen’s Houthi-held capital Sanaa on Thursday.

Before the second Israeli statement, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the militia had fired two missiles at targets in the Tel Aviv area as part of its “initial response to the Israeli aggression against our country.”

“Our operations will continue at an escalating pace during the coming period,” he added.

The Iran-backed Houthis have launched repeated drone and missile attacks against Israel since the Gaza war erupted in October 2023, saying the launches are in support of the Palestinians.

Israel has carried out several rounds of retaliatory strikes in Yemen, targeting Houthi-held ports as well as the capital.