Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea (2nd R, top) delivers a statement in Sanaa, Yemen, May 2, 2025. Yemen's Houthi group claimed responsibility for two missile attacks towards northern Israel on Friday. (Photo by Mohammed Mohammed/Xinhua)
SANAA, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi group claimed responsibility for two missile attacks towards northern Israel on Friday.
"We carried out a military operation targeting a vital Israeli target in Haifa (city) ... using a hypersonic ballistic missile," Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a statement aired by Houthi-run al-Masirah TV.
"This was the second attack in a matter of hours," he said. In a separate statement released earlier, the Houthi group said it launched a missile attack before dawn on northern Israel, targeting the Ramat David Airbase southeast of Haifa.
The spokesperson added that the ongoing U.S. airstrikes in northern Yemen "have failed" to prevent the group from targeting Israel and its ships in the Red and Arabian seas.
The Israeli military reported earlier in the day that it had intercepted two missiles fired from Yemen, adding that its Home Front Command had distributed an early warning to large parts of northern Israel, including the Haifa metropolitan area.
The Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen, have been targeting Israel since November 2023 to show solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip.
The U.S. military resumed airstrikes against Houthi targets on March 15 in a bid to deter the group. ■
