Jerusalem

Israel on Tuesday (Dec 23) said it had intercepted a 'projectile' fired from Yemen, marking a fresh escalation in regional tensions as air raid sirens sounded across central and southern Israel. 

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The Israeli Army said on Telegram that the projectile was destroyed before crossing into Israeli airspace.

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Israeli Army statement on Yemen projectile

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"Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago, a projectile that was launched from Yemen was intercepted prior to crossing into Israeli territory," said the army statement. 

"Rocket and missile sirens were sounded following the possibility of falling shrapnel from the interception," it added.

Emergency medical responders from Magen David Adom reported no injuries linked to the incident.

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Also read | Gaza war: ‘His bones are out,’ wife of American hostage pleads with negotiators to bring husband back

Mounting tensions with the Houthis

This comes amid heightened hostilities with Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who last week fired two missiles at Israel. One missile struck Tel Aviv, injuring 16 people in a direct hit on a commercial area. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has since vowed to retaliate decisively.

"I have instructed our forces to destroy the infrastructure of Houthis, because anyone who tries to harm us will be struck with full force, even if it takes time," Netanyahu told lawmakers on Monday.

Israel's retaliatory strikes

In a forceful retaliatory attack, Israeli airstrikes targeted Houthi-controlled ports and energy facilities, which the military claims are central to the rebels' operations.

The Houthis have reported that nine people were killed in the Israeli attacks.

(With inputs from agencies)

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, Syria, Iraq and non-state actors like Islamic State, among others. In this context, claims and counterclaims are being made online and offline. WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.