Houthi Drone Strikes Near Ramon International Airport, Says Israel Flight Operations Halted

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Israel on Sunday said that the Houthi militant group has launched a drone attack that hit the southern airport of the country. The drone attack has triggered closure of the airspace and halting of flights to and from the airport, the Israeli military said on the day.

The Houthis launched multiple drones towards Israel, the military said, adding that some of them were intercepted before they reached the country. However, at least one drone hit near the Ramon International Airport near the southern Israeli city of Eilat.

Israel's airports authority informed about the airspace closure above the Ramon airport earlier on Sunday, without providing an immediate reason for the closure.

Israel investigates Houthi drone attack

Israel said it was investigating the crash of the drone launched from Yemen . While the military said that the incident was under review, it did not provide details or nature of the impact.

The airport located near the resort city of Eilat on the border with Jordan and Egypt mostly handles domestic flights.

Also Read | Who was Ahmed al-Rahawi? Houthi rebel prime minister killed in Israeli airstrike

The Iran-backed Houthis have been launching missiles and drones thousands of kilometres north towards Israel, in what the group says are acts of solidarity with the Palestinians.

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis recently stepped up attacks and missile launches on Israel. Most of the dozens of missiles and drones launched have been intercepted or fallen short of targets.

The Israeli military said on Thursday a missile launched from Yemen towards Israel fell in an open area outside Israeli territory and no sirens were activated, the third such launch within less than 24 hours.

Also Read | Israeli airstrikes hit Yemen's capital targeting Iran-backed Houthis Also Read | Israel Hits Houthi Targets in Yemeni Port to Halt Missile Fire

In May, a Houthi missil hit near Israel's main airport, injuring four people lightly and causing many airlines to cancel their flights to Israel for months. Israel later struck and destroyed the main airport in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa.

Israel has retaliated by bombing Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, including the vital Hodeidah port. Its latest blow killed senior Houthi officials, including the head of the government. The Houthis, who control the most populous parts of Yemen, have also been attacking vessels in the Red Sea since the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023.

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