Yemen rebels claim missile, drone attacks on Israel

SANAA — Yemen's Huthi rebels said Wednesday that they had fired a ballistic missile and drones at Israel, days after an attack on Tel Aviv wounded 16 people.

Israel's military said it intercepted the missile before it entered Israeli territory, but did not immediately comment on the drone attacks which the Huthis said hit their targets.

"The UAV (drone) force of the Yemeni Armed Forces carried out two military operations" targeting Israel's commercial hub of Tel Aviv and the southern city of Ashkelon, a Huthi military statement said.

The missile was also aimed at the Tel Aviv area, the Huthis said. The Israelis reported it was shot down before it entered Israeli territory.

A Huthi military statement said the attack was carried out "using a hypersonic ballistic missile, type Palestine 2".

The Iran-backed Huthis have repeatedly launched missiles at Israel in solidarity with the Palestinians since the war in Gaza erupted more than a year ago.

Most have been intercepted, but on Saturday an attack that hit Tel Aviv wounded 16 people, prompting a warning from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"We will act against the Huthis... with force, determination and sophistication," he said in a video statement on Sunday.

In the missile attack on Wednesday, air raid sirens sounded over a wide swathe of central Israel as a precaution against falling debris.

"A missile that was launched from Yemen was intercepted before crossing into Israeli territory," the military said in a statement.

No injuries were reported, according to Israel's emergency medical services.

On Tuesday, the Israeli army said it had intercepted a projectile fired from Yemen.

In July, a Huthi drone attack on Tel Aviv killed an Israeli civilian, prompting retaliatory strikes on the Yemeni port of Hodeidah.

The Huthis have also regularly targeted shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, leading to retaliatory strikes by US and sometimes British forces.