The Yemeni armed group has said it used its “new hypersonic ballistic missile” in the attack
A missile fired from Yemen struck central Israel on Sunday morning, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The Houthis, an armed group which controls much of northern Yemen, have claimed responsibility for the attack.
The missile entered Israeli airspace from the east and fell in an open area, the IDF said in a message on X (formerly Twitter). There were no casualties as a result of the incident, it added.
In a later post, the Israeli military said that the attack had originated in Yemen. It also clarified that the explosive sounds that were heard above central Israel had been made by the IDF’s interceptors, which were fired at the incoming projectile.
Sirens were activated in the area from Tel-Aviv on the Mediterranean coast to the city of Modiin some 25km (18 miles) to its south-east at around 6:30am local time, the Times of Israel reported.
According to the paper, a missile reportedly hit an open area and caused a fire in the Ben Shemen forest, a few kilometers away from Ben Gurion International Airport outside Tel-Aviv. Shrapnel also damaged a train station on the outskirts of Modiin, and the police are looking for missile debris in other areas, it added.
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Nine people were slightly wounded as they ran for shelter amid the attack, Israel’s ambulance service Magen David Adom has said.