On December 16, the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) launched a missile and a drone at Israel, as well as multiple drones and another missile targeting three commercial ships escorted by US Navy vessels in the Gulf of Aden.
Brigadier General Yahya Saree, a spokesperson for the Yemeni military, confirmed the attack on Israel, stating that a hypersonic ballistic missile had successfully struck its target. In his statement, he said, “In response to the ongoing massacres against our brothers in Gaza, the missile forces carried out an operation targeting a military site in the occupied Yaffa area, using a Palestine 2 hypersonic missile.” He added, “The mission was successfully accomplished, thanks to God.”
Air raid sirens were activated across central Israel on Monday afternoon, from the Shfela region to the Sharon area, as the Israeli Air Force intercepted the missile launched from Yemen. The sirens were sounded over concerns about debris from the missile interception, according to Yedioth Ahronoth.
The Israeli military also reported that a drone fired by Yemen aimed at Israeli territory was shot down over the Mediterranean Sea. According to the army, the drone was intercepted by a missile boat before reaching Israel. No sirens were triggered, and no injuries were reported.
Brigadier General Saree further stated that the YAF had also targeted US military assets, including two US destroyers and supply ships. A US official, speaking anonymously, confirmed that multiple drones and a missile were launched at three commercial vessels protected by US Navy ships in the Gulf of Aden. US Navy destroyers, along with a helicopter and a French Air Force aircraft, intercepted and destroyed four drones and the missile. No damage or casualties were reported.
That evening, US and UK fighter jets carried out airstrikes on the Buhais area of the Midi district, northwest of Hajjah, and the Tuhayta district in southern Hodeidah. In response to these strikes, Hussein al-Ezzi, head of the political and foreign relations department of Yemen’s Ansarallah movement, issued a warning. He declared that any further escalation by the US or UK against Yemeni civilians or cities would give Sanaa the right to strike US interests wherever they may be, and that Washington would bear responsibility for the consequences.
Not the first time!
Earlier, on December 13, the YAF had announced a series of drone strikes on Israel, some of which were carried out in collaboration with Iraqi resistance groups. These attacks, conducted on December 12, led the Israeli army to report drone infiltrations near Netivot, south of Ashkelon. The army also confirmed intercepting one drone in southern Israel, with investigations ongoing.
These military operations come amid rising tensions over potential Israeli action against Yemen and ongoing shifts in the region, particularly following the weakening of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government. On Monday, a senior official from Israel’s Broadcasting Corporation (KAN) indicated that Israel was planning a large-scale military assault on Yemen.
