(Reuters) – Israel launched strikes at Houthi targets in Yemen on Sunday after the Houthi militants fired missiles at Israel over the past two days, marking a fresh exchange in another front of the regional conflict.
The Israeli military said in a statement that dozens of aircraft, including fighter jets, attacked power plants and a sea port at the Ras Issa and Hodeidah ports.
The strikes caused power outages in most parts of the port city of Hodeidah, residents said.
“Over the past year, the Houthis have been operating under the direction and funding of Iran, and in cooperation with Iraqi militias in order to attack the State of Israel, undermine regional stability, and disrupt global freedom of navigation,” the statement said.
Yemen’s Houthi militants have fired missiles and drones at Israel repeatedly in what they say is solidarity with Palestinians, since the Gaza war began with a Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7.
In their latest attack, the Houthis said they had launched a ballistic missile on Saturday towards the Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, which Israel said it intercepted. Israel also intercepted another Houthi missile on Friday.
The Houthi movement earlier mourned Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, its ally in an Iran-backed alliance opposing Israel, following his death in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut.
(Reporting by Mohammed Ghobari, Maayan Lubell and Reyam Mukhasahf; writing by Hatem Maher; Editing by Sharon Singleton)
