In retaliation for missile strikes on three ports in Yemen, the country’s ruling armed group, the Houthis, has launched counter missile attacks on Israel. This information was disclosed by Houthi spokesperson Yahya Sarea in a statement broadcast on Yemen’s state television channel Al Masirah.
He stated that hypersonic missiles, traveling five times faster than the speed of sound, were fired targeting Ben Gurion Airport, Ashdod Port, and a power generation plant in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon. Additionally, eight explosive-laden drones were launched targeting the port of Eilat in southern Israel.
Claiming that the missiles and drones successfully hit their targets, Yahya Sarea said, “Our missiles and drones successfully struck their targets, and Israeli interceptors failed to destroy them.”
Earlier on Monday morning, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched missile attacks on Yemen’s Hodeidah, Ras Isa, and Saif ports. Later, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz informed journalists that the IDF had initiated a special operation against the Houthi group in Yemen called “Operation Black Flag,” and the attacks were part of this campaign.
Background:
In October 2023, following the Israeli military offensive in Gaza, the Iran-backed armed Houthi group began attacking commercial ships transiting the Red Sea — one of the world’s busiest trade routes — using missiles, drones, and explosive rockets, expressing solidarity with Hamas and Palestinians in Gaza.
Between November 2023 and January 2025, the Houthis carried out attacks on over a hundred commercial ships in the Red Sea. Their attacks have sunk two ships and killed four crew members so far.
Israel Katz previously stated that Israel had launched Operation Black Flag to respond to Houthi attacks in the Red Sea. However, after Yemen’s retaliatory strikes, neither Katz nor any Israeli defense official has issued a reaction yet.
