The Houthis have launched dozens of drone attacks and a handful of missile attacks in the first half of September, including a drone that struck Ilan and Asaf Ramon International Airport outside of Eilat, Israel’s city on the Red Sea. In response, on September 10, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) targeted Houthi infrastructure in Sanaa, the Yemeni capital held by the terror group, and Al Jawf, a neighboring governorate.
The Houthis launched drones on September 7, September 8, September 9, September 11, and September 14. Each attack used multiple drones, and the group claimed to target airports, military infrastructure, and other “sensitive sites.”
The IDF intercepted all of these drones, or they fell short, except for one on September 7, which hit Ramon Airport. The drone struck the airport’s passenger terminal, damaging the facility and injuring one man, but causing no fatalities. The IDF determined that human error was to blame for its failure to intercept the drone, which was detected but not classified as a threat. Thus, no sirens were triggered, nor was an intercept attempt made. The airport resumed operations within hours of the attack.
The Houthis also announced missile launches targeting Israel on September 4, September 9, September 11, and September 13. The Iran-backed terror group claimed the ballistic missiles fired on September 9 and 13 contained cluster munitions, a weapon the group first deployed on August 22. The IDF intercepted the missiles.
Israel’s latest airstrike
Israel struck Houthi infrastructure in response to the group’s persistent attacks. Among the targets hit, the IDF identified “Military camps in which the Houthi regime gathered intelligence and planned & executed terrorist attacks against Israel. A fuel storage facility that was used in Houthi terrorist activity. The Houthi Public Relations Department, responsible for distributing propaganda messages in the media and psychological terror.” Israel has repeatedly struck Houthi military and economic infrastructure.
“The Houthi Public Relations Department” target, as described by the IDF, included the compound of the Military Media Office, an official Houthi media arm, and local newspapers which are under the group’s control.
“The Yemeni Armed Forces deny the claims of the Israeli enemy regarding the targeting of missile launch platforms, and confirm that its airstrikes hit purely civilian properties, including the newspapers ‘26 September’ and ‘Al-Yemen,’ with martyrs and wounded among journalists and female journalists, as well as among citizens and passersby,” Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree stated. The Houthi-run health ministry claimed the attack killed 46 and injured 165.
The Houthi-Israel conflict
The Houthis have been attempting to enforce a blockade of Israel by targeting airports as well as ships transiting the Red Sea. The Iran-backed terror group has launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel, commercial shipping, and US forces, claiming these attacks are conducted in solidarity with Gazans during the war following the Hamas-led terror attacks on October 7, 2023. The United States, Israel, and the United Kingdom have all carried out airstrikes against the Houthis in response to the group’s Red Sea terrorism that threatens global shipping.
