The Israel Defense Forces shot down a ballistic missile on Tuesday night launched at the Jewish state by the Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist organization from Yemen.
“Following the alerts that were activated a short time ago in several areas within the country, it appears that one missile launched from Yemen was intercepted. Additional interceptors were launched due to concerns about falling interception fragments,” the military confirmed.
The air-raid alerts were “activated according to policy,” added the IDF.
The attack triggered air-raid sirens throughout Tel Aviv, as well as in the Jerusalem area, prompting millions of Israeli civilians to rush to bomb shelters. There were no immediate reports of injuries in the assault.
As a result of the interception, fragments of the ballistic missile were scattered throughout the Jewish state, with shrapnel reported in the Jerusalem area, including in Tzur Hadassah, Beitar Illit and Zekharia.
Argentinian President Javier Milei, who is in Jerusalem on an official visit, tweeted footage of the interception from his hotel in the capital.
“I strongly suggest that, when giving your opinion about what is happening in ISRAEL, you keep in mind what it it it’s like to live under this kind of situation,” Milei wrote in the social media post, tagging President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Houthis have escalated their aerial attacks on Israel in recent weeks, including a direct hit near Ben-Gurion International Airport on May 4.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Israeli Navy attacked the Houthi-controlled port of Hudaydah, reportedly marking the first time that naval forces were used in an operation in Yemen instead of Israeli Air Force fighter jets.
Missile ships struck “terror targets” at the port following “the aggression of the Houthi terrorist regime” against the Jewish state and its citizens, including the launching of ballistic missiles and drones, the IDF said.
Jerusalem has conducted multiple rounds of attacks against the Houthis since last summer, mainly in retaliation for Houthi missile and drone attacks. The terrorist group claims these attacks are intended to end Israel’s military campaign against the Hamas terrorist group in Gaza.