The China Mail - Israel intercepts missile fired from Yemen after deadly Sanaa strikes

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the missile attack on Israel.

But the Iran-backed Huthi rebels have repeatedly launched missiles and drones at Israel since their Palestinian ally Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel sparked the Gaza war.

"Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in several areas in Israel, a missile launched from Yemen was intercepted," Israel's army said on Telegram.

The Huthi armed forces' media operation in Sanaa, the rebel-held capital, was hit by Israel Wednesday, along with a Huthi complex in Jawf province, the group said.

Thirty-five people died and 131 were wounded, Huthi health ministry spokesman Anees Alasbahi posted on X, adding it was not a final toll.

The toll included 28 dead and 113 wounded in Sanaa, and seven dead and 18 wounded in Jawf, which borders Saudi Arabia, Alasbahi said.

It came after Huthis' prime minister Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser al-Rahawi, nine ministers and two cabinet officials were killed as they attended a government meeting in the Sanaa area last month

- High-profile assassinations -

The killings were the most high-profile assassinations of Huthi officials during nearly two years of hostilities with Israel over the Gaza war.

Huthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said journalists working for the September 26 and al-Yaman newspapers were among those killed Wednesday at the "Moral Guidance Headquarters" in Sanaa.

The Israeli military also said it struck the armed forces' media operations, among other facilities.

The targets included "military camps in which operatives of the terrorist regime were identified, the Huthis' military public relations headquarters and a fuel storage facility that was used by the terrorist regime", an Israeli military statement said.

The Huthis' Al-Masirah television said the strikes in Jawf hit a Central Bank branch building in the city of Al-Hazm, wounding employees.

The Huthis said they fought back with air defences, without giving details.

On Sunday, a drone launched from Yemen struck Ramon airport in southern Israel, wounding one person.

In response, Israel has carried out rounds of retaliatory strikes in Yemen, mainly targeting infrastructure such as ports, power stations and the international airport in Sanaa.

A.Kwok--ThChM