Israel says intercepts drone claimed by Houthis

JERUSALEM (AFP): Israel’s military said Friday it had intercepted an incoming UAV while a military source in Jordan said another drone had crashed there, as Iran-backed Houthis claimed the attacks.

“A short while ago, a UAV (drone) that was on its way to Israeli territory from the east was intercepted by the IAF (Israeli air force),” the Israeli military said in a statement, without elaborating.

Since the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas erupted in October 2023, the Houthis have repeatedly launched drone and missile attacks at Israel, many of which have been intercepted before entering Israeli airspace.

The Houthi militia in Yemen, claiming to be acting in solidarity with the Palestinians, stated on their official website that they had launched two drones “targeting two Israeli military targets in the occupied Jaffa area” south of Tel Aviv.

The Houthis “assure to the oppressed Palestinian people that they are committed to their pledge of support and assistance, will not retreat, and will not stop,” the statement said.

In Israel’s eastern neighbor Jordan, several media outlets reported that Israel’s military had intercepted a Yemeni drone over the Dead Sea.

A Jordanian military source said an unidentified drone breached the country’s airspace and crashed in the Ma’in area of Madaba Governorate, some 30 kilometers (20 miles) southwest of the capital Amman.

No casualties were reported, but falling debris ignited a fire in the wooded area where it came down.

Jordanian military personnel and civil defense teams extinguished the blaze.

Besides the Houthis, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, another pro-Iran group, has also claimed being behind a number of attacks targeting Israel since the Gaza war began.