Israel launched a massive retaliatory attack against the Houthi rebels in Yemen on Sunday, bombarding sea ports and taking out power plants in Ras Issa and Hodeidah, officials said.
The Israeli military deployed dozens of fighter jets to conduct the attack in response to a series of missiles fired from the Iran-backed rebel group over the weekend.
“Over the past year, the Houthis have been operating under the direction and funding of Iran, and in cooperation with Iraqi militias in order to attack the State of Israel, undermine regional stability, and disrupt global freedom of navigation,” the IDF said in a statement.
Sunday’s strikes targeted military facilities along the ports of Ras Issa and Hodeidah, including several power plants that went up in blazes.
“The IDF attacked power plants and a port, which are used to import oil,” the Israeli military said. “Through the targeted infrastructure and ports, the Houthi regime transfers Iranian weapons to the region, and supplies for military purposes, including oil.”
The attack landed a significant blow on the Yemen-based terror group after it launched a ballistic missile on Saturday targeting Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport, near Tel Aviv.
The missile, along with another rocket fired on Friday, was intercepted before it reached its intended target.
The Houthis began attacking Israel in November in solidarity with Hamas, with the terror group plaguing the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden by constantly firing at military and merchant ships allegedly tied to the Jewish state.
The latest attack from the Houthis came in retaliation for the death of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah on Friday.
It’s the latest escalation from an Iran-backed terror group that threatens to throw the Middle East into an all-out war between Israel and Tehran’s terror proxies.
With Post wires
