Israeli airstrikes hit Yemen’s capital after Houthis fire cluster bomb

The Israeli air force attacked Yemen’s capital of Sanaa on Sunday, just days after the Houthi rebel group there fired a cluster bomb against the Jewish state for the first time in two years.

Israel dropped multiple bombs across military facilities in the capital, including near the presidential palace, killing at least two people and injuring 35 others, according to the Houthi-run ministry of health.

The Israeli military said it directly targeted the Asar and Hizaz power plants in Sanaa, describing them as “a significant electricity supply facility for military activities.”

Residents in the capital told The Associated Press they could hear loud explosions near the military academy and presidential palace, with plumes of smoke visible near Sabeen Square, a central gathering spot in the capital where pro-Houthi rallies have been routinely held.  

“The sounds of explosions were very strong,” said Hussein Mohamed, who lives close to the presidential palace, with another witness saying that the blasts rocked his entire house.

An Israeli air force official told the AP that more than 10 jets were used to carry out the bombing campaign in Sanna.

The attack on Yemen’s capital came after the Houthis fired a cluster bomb against Israel on Friday that was targeting Ben Gurion International Airport.

While there were no damages after the bomb fragmented mid-air following several interception attempts, the Israeli air force official warned that the rocket posed a serious threat to the Jewish state.

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the cluster munition makes it harder for the country’s defense systems to intercept all the bombs, signaling a worrying advancement for the Iran-backed terror group.

The Houthis had not fired such a weapon since 2023, when it began attacking Israel following the Israel Defense Force’s invasion of the Gaza Strip.

Nasruddin Amer, deputy head of the Houthi media office, said the attacks on Israel would not stop until the war in Gaza ends, as he claimed that the strikes on Sanaa would not deter the rebel group.

“Our military operations supporting Gaza won’t stop, God willing, unless the aggression is stopped, and the siege is lifted,” Amer said in a statement.

With Post wires