The Israeli military said early Friday that its air defense systems had intercepted a missile fired from Yemen before it could reach Israeli territory.
Warning sirens went off in several central Israeli areas due to the possibility of falling debris, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.
The interception took place shortly after Israeli fighter jets attacked locations in Yemen on Thursday in response to attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi movement. According to official figures, the strike resulted in at least six deaths and more than forty injuries.
Since the start of the Gaza war over a year ago, Yemen’s Houthis have attacked Israel with rocket and drone strikes.
In response, Israel’s recent airstrike targeted Houthi infrastructure, including the international airport in Sana’a. Several ports, including Hodeidah, and two of the country’s power stations were also affected.
The Houthis are allied with Israel’s arch-enemy Iran, such as Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the Lebanese Hezbollah militia.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday evening reaffirmed Israel’s determination to dismantle the “Iranian axis of evil.”
