Israeli jets hit back at Houthi-run targets in Yemen
Strike after ballistic missile evaded Israeli defences and landed within the grounds of Ben-Gurion airport
Jenni Frazer is a freelance journalist
Israel Air Force’s fighter jets have struck back against targets in Yemen, after an unprecedented successful attack by the Iran-backed Houthi terror group, in which a missile landed on the periphery of Ben-Gurion Airport.
The Houthis had been launching ballistic missiles at Israel over three consecutive days, culminating in the strike that hit the airport on Sunday, leading to a brief closure of Ben-Gurion, and the evacuation of frightened passengers from planes waiting on the tarmac to take off.
None of Israel’s usually reliable defence systems had been able to intercept Sunday’s missile. Though no-one was hurt in that attack, jubilant Houthis said they would “impose a comprehensive air blockade” on Israel by “repeatedly targeting airports,” especially Ben Gurion. They called on international airlines to plan accordingly and cancel all scheduled flights to Israeli airports.
But an angry Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered 20 IAF jets to hit back. On Monday night pilots took off and targeted areas run by the Houthis along Yemen’s coastline, striking sites in the Hudaydah port said to be vital for the transfer of Iranian weapons, military equipment, and other equipment intended for terrorist purposes.
Israel defence sources said that the air force had hit the Bajil concrete plant, near the city of al-Hudaydah, said to be “a significant economic resource for the Houthis”, which is allegedly used for the construction of underground tunnels and terrorist infrastructure.
The Houthi-run Ministry of Health said at least one person had been killed and another 35 injured in the Israeli strike in Bajil.
Last week, an American F/A-18 fighter jet fell off an aircraft carrier in the Red Sea after the ship made a hard turn to evade a Houthi attack.
Prime Minister Netanyahu, in talks with the president of Cyprus on Sunday, Nikos Christodoudiles, declared: “The whole world is being challenged by the Houthis. We will not tolerate it. We will take very strong action against them. And we always remember that they act with their patron Iran’s direction and support.”
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