IDF Reports Successful Interception of Missile and Drone Launched from Yemen
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Jerusalem, Jan 3 (NationPress) The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported in two separate statements that they intercepted a missile and a drone launched by the Houthi faction in Yemen on Friday.
The missile, which was launched at approximately 4:30 am local time (0230 GMT), triggered alarms across central Israel, including major cities like Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, prompting millions of residents to seek shelter.
According to Israel's national emergency service, Magen David Adom, twelve individuals sustained injuries while rushing to shelters.
The IDF confirmed that the missile was intercepted after it entered Israeli airspace, with a fragment landing near the city of Modi'in in central Israel.
The missile's engine was later discovered in a private backyard within the Har Gilo settlement in the West Bank, adjacent to Jerusalem, resulting in minor property damage.
Reportedly, operations at Ben Gurion International Airport were halted for approximately half an hour due to the missile launch, with two flights redirected to Larnaca, Cyprus, as reported by Xinhua news agency citing Israel's Channel 12 TV News.
Later that morning, the IDF announced that they intercepted a drone launched from Yemen before it could enter Israeli airspace; in this instance, alarms were not triggered.
Previously, on December 28, the IDF had announced the interception of a missile launched from Yemen aimed at the Jerusalem area.
The IDF's report stated, "A projectile launched from Yemen was intercepted before entering Israeli territory."
This missile activation led to air defense sirens sounding in the Jerusalem area, the Judean Lowlands, and the Dead Sea, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to seek shelter shortly after 2:10 am local time (0010 GMT), as per the IDF.
Israeli fighter jets subsequently carried out a series of strikes targeting Yemeni locations, which included the international airport in Sanaa and several power stations, resulting in at least six fatalities.
On December 27, the Houthi group declared that they had fired a 'hypersonic ballistic missile' at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, claiming to have successfully hit their target.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea stated in a televised address on Houthi-operated al-Masirah TV that the attack caused casualties and disrupted flights at the airport.
"The missile successfully reached its target despite the enemy's attempts at concealment. The operation led to casualties and the halting of air traffic at the airport," Sarea claimed.
