The Israel Defense Forces shot down a missile launched at central Israel from Yemen by Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists on Monday night, triggering air-raid sirens throughout Samaria, the army said.
“Following alerts that were activated a short time ago in several areas of the country, the Air Force intercepted one missile launched from Yemen,” the IDF stated. “The missile was intercepted before it crossed into Israeli territory; the alerts were activated according to policy.”
According to Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency medical service, no immediate reports were received of casualties from the missile interception.
Earlier on Monday, an Israeli Air Force helicopter intercepted a suicide drone over the country’s south that had been launched from Yemen.
On Jan. 8, Israeli air-defense systems shot down three Houthi drones launched from Yemen, with the military publishing video of one of the interceptions over the Mediterranean Sea.
Another UAV was intercepted over the Mediterranean earlier in the day, and a drone was shot down by IAF helicopters, triggering air-raid sirens in Gvulot, a kibbutz in the northwestern Negev.
Since the start of the Swords of Iron war on Oct. 7, 2023, Iran-backed Houthi rebels have launched around 40 surface-to-surface missiles and 320 UAVs toward Israel, according to the military.
In response to the attacks, the IAF hit terror targets on Yemen’s western coast and inland on Friday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday afternoon that “just as we promised, the Houthis are paying, and will continue to pay, a heavy price for their aggression against us,” according to a translation of his remarks published by his office.
