Israeli army says missile intercepted from Yemen

A ballistic missile fired at Israel from Yemen was intercepted early on Sunday, the Israeli military said.

The surface-to-surface missile came from the east and landed in an open area, the Israeli army reported. Earlier in the morning, warning sirens had sounded in the centre of the country.

Explosive sounds heard in the early hours were due to the missile interception, the military said, adding that it was reviewing the outcome.

Following a fatal drone attack on Tel Aviv by the Iran-allied Houthi militia earlier this year, the Israeli Air Force attacked the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah in July, leading to a massive fire and six deaths. The Houthi leader subsequently announced a new phase in the fight against Israel.

The Jerusalem Post daily reported that the ballistic missile had been fired towards the Tel Aviv metropolitan area.

The Arrow 3 missile defence system had apparently failed to intercept the projectile before it entered the atmosphere. Only on the second attempt did the Arrow 2 defence system manage to hit it over Israeli airspace.

According to media reports, missile fragments landed in various parts of the country, including in the cities of Modiin and Rehovot. Israel has a multi-tiered missile defence system.