Daijiworld Media Network - Sanaa

Sanaa, Apr 23: Yemen's Houthi rebels on Wednesday claimed responsibility for launching missile and drone strikes on vital targets in Israel’s cities of Haifa and Tel Aviv, marking the first-ever attack by the group on Haifa. The strikes reportedly set off sirens in northwestern Israel earlier in the day.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea confirmed the launch of a hypersonic ballistic missile targeting Haifa. "The hypersonic missile hit the target in Haifa as the enemy’s defence systems failed to intercept it," Sarea said in a televised statement, aired by Houthi-run al-Masirah TV.

The second strike, according to Sarea, targeted a ‘vital’ facility in Tel Aviv using a bomb-laden drone. "We will continue our military operations until the Israeli aggression on the Palestinian Gaza Strip stops and the blockade on it is lifted," he added, reiterating the Houthis' stance against Israeli actions in Gaza.

Earlier, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed that sirens had been activated in Haifa, the Krayot region, and Western Galilee. While the IDF attempted to intercept the missile, video footage shared by Israeli residents and global news outlets showed a massive explosion and fire in Haifa, suggesting the missile strike was successful. However, Israeli emergency services, Magen David Adom, reported no injuries.

In retaliation, the US military carried out 11 airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen’s northern provinces of Marib, Taiz, and Hodeidah. These strikes reportedly targeted telecommunications networks in Taiz, the airport in Hodeidah, and key military sites in Marib.

The confrontation between the US military and the Houthis has escalated since mid-March, when Washington resumed airstrikes to deter the Houthis from targeting US warships and Israeli assets in the region.