Israeli airstrikes hit Yemen’s capital targeting Houthis

Cairo: Israeli airstrikes hit Yemen’s capital on Sunday, just days after the Houthi rebels fired a missile toward Israel, the rebels said, the latest Israeli attack targeting the Iranian-backed group. The Houthi media office said the strikes hit multiple areas across the capital of Sanaa, including a power planet and a gas station.

Residents reported hearing loud sounds of explosions in different areas, including close to the presidential palace.

The reported strikes were the first to hit Yemen since a week ago, when Israel said it targeted energy infrastructure it believed was used by the rebels. Israel did not immediately confirmed Sunday’s attack.

The Iran-backed Houthis have launched missiles and drones toward Israel and targeted ships in the Red Sea for more than 22 months.

They say they are carrying out the attacks in solidarity with the Palestinians amid the war in the Gaza Strip.

Sanaa residents told The Associated Press they heard loud explosions close to a closed military academy and the presidential palace.

They said they could see smoke plumes near Sabeen Square, a central gathering place in the capital.

“The sound of explosions were very strong,” said Hussein Mohamed, a Yemeni resident, who lives close to the presidential palace. Ahmed al-Mekhlafy, another resident, also said he felt the sheer force of the strikes. “The house was rocked, and the windows were shattered,” he told the AP over the phone. Nasruddin Amer, deputy head of the Houthi media office, claimed the Israeli strikes won’t deter the rebels, and vowed to continue their attacks on Israel. “Our military operations supporting Gaza won’t stop, God willing, unless the aggression is stopped, and the siege is lifted,” he wrote on social media.