Members of the Houthi rebels at a protest in Sanaa, where demonstrators showed support for Palestinians in Gaza. AFP
Members of the Houthi rebels at a protest in Sanaa, where demonstrators showed support for Palestinians in Gaza. AFP
Members of the Houthi rebels at a protest in Sanaa, where demonstrators showed support for Palestinians in Gaza. AFP
Members of the Houthi rebels at a protest in Sanaa, where demonstrators showed support for Palestinians in Gaza. AFP

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis claim drone and missile attacks against Israel


Mohamad Ali Harisi
  • English
  • Arabic

Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza

Yemen's Houthi rebels said on Tuesday that they have fired missiles and drones towards Israel in retaliation for the Gaza war, signalling a new front in the conflict by one of the Iran-backed militias in the Middle East.

“Our armed forces launched a large batch of ballistic and winged missiles and a large number of drones at various targets of the Israeli enemy,” said the heavily armed group.

“This operation is the third in support of our oppressed brothers in Palestine, and we will continue to carry out more qualitative strikes with missiles and drones until the Israeli aggression stops.”

Pentagon Press Secretary Brig Gen Pat Ryder said the Israeli military had shot down the missile.

“We are aware that the Houthis did fire a medium-range ballistic missile or cruise missile targeting Israel. Israel did take it down,” he told reporters.

“This is something that we will continue to monitor. As we’ve said before, we want to prevent a broader regional conflict.”

Despite being 1,600km away, experts have warned that the Yemeni rebels could emerge as a threat to Israel as it expands its military assault in Gaza, more than three weeks after the surprise attack by Hamas.

The militia that holds the capital of war-torn Yemen has been accused by the Pentagon earlier this month of launching a series of missiles and drones that were intercepted by a US Navy ship in the Red Sea.

Last week, projectiles struck two Egyptian towns near Israel. Israeli authorities blamed the attack on an “aerial threat” in the Red Sea region, likely referring to the Houthis, who control northern Yemen and parts of its western coast.

On Tuesday, Israel's air defence systems intercepted a missile launched from the Red Sea region, its army said. Jets also shot down other targets, it added.

The claim by the Houthis is the first since the beginning of the conflict and marks an escalation in the multilayered conflict.

“This is an escalation, a new front opening, as Iran threatens with a regional response while Israel intensifies its attack,” Maged Al Madhaji, co-founder of the Sanaa Centre for Strategic Studies, told The National.

Yemen’s rebels have bolstered their fighting capabilities since the civil war erupted in the country in 2014, posing a serious threat to its neighbours.

“Houthis can handle the price more than any other Iran ally in the region
Maged Al Madhaji,
co-founder of the Sanaa Centre for Strategic Studies

Up until the end of 2018, the Houthis frequently used ballistic missiles they captured from army depots. But in the past five years, they have shifted to small, long-range, explosive unmanned aircraft that can evade radar detection.

“Houthis can handle the price more than any other Iran ally in the region – they will pay the cheapest price” to any retaliation, Mr Al Madhaji said.

The launch of the missiles and drones coincides with pro-Iranian militant groups attacking US bases hosting American troops in Syria and Iraq.

Three days after the Hamas attack on October 7 that killed about 1,400 in Israel, the rebels’ leader Abdel-Malek Al Houthi warned that his militia is “ready to engage” with the co-ordination of Iran allies in the region.

Iran said it was “natural” for the Tehran-backed groups to attack Israel in light of its war, warning of a wider spillover if no ceasefire is reached.

The remarks were made on Tuesday by Iran's top diplomat Hossein Amirabdollahian in Qatar's capital Doha, where he met his Qatari counterpart as well as Emir Sheikh Tamim to discuss a push for a diplomatic breakthrough.

Red flags
  • Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
  • Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
  • Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
  • Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
  • Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.

Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching

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LA LIGA FIXTURES

Friday (UAE kick-off times)

Levante v Real Mallorca (12am)

Leganes v Barcelona (4pm)

Real Betis v Valencia (7pm)

Granada v Atletico Madrid (9.30pm)

Sunday

Real Madrid v Real Sociedad (12am)

Espanyol v Getafe (3pm)

Osasuna v Athletic Bilbao (5pm)

Eibar v Alaves (7pm)

Villarreal v Celta Vigo (9.30pm)

Monday

Real Valladolid v Sevilla (12am)

 

Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

How England have scored their set-piece goals in Russia

Three Penalties

v Panama, Group Stage (Harry Kane)

v Panama, Group Stage (Kane)

v Colombia, Last 16 (Kane)

Four Corners

v Tunisia, Group Stage (Kane, via John Stones header, from Ashley Young corner)

v Tunisia, Group Stage (Kane, via Harry Maguire header, from Kieran Trippier corner)

v Panama, Group Stage (Stones, header, from Trippier corner)

v Sweden, Quarter-Final (Maguire, header, from Young corner)

One Free-Kick

v Panama, Group Stage (Stones, via Jordan Henderson, Kane header, and Raheem Sterling, from Tripper free-kick)

ABU%20DHABI'S%20KEY%20TOURISM%20GOALS%3A%20BY%20THE%20NUMBERS
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Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015

- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France

'Worse than a prison sentence'

Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.

“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.

“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.

“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.

“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.

“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”

'Skin'

Dir: Guy Nattiv

Starring: Jamie Bell, Danielle McDonald, Bill Camp, Vera Farmiga

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

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In Search of Mary Shelley: The Girl Who Wrote Frankenstein
By Fiona Sampson
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Five famous companies founded by teens

There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:

  1. Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate. 
  2. Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc. 
  3. Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway. 
  4. Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
  5. Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
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The biog

Place of birth: Kalba

Family: Mother of eight children and has 10 grandchildren

Favourite traditional dish: Al Harees, a slow cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled cracked or coarsely ground wheat mixed with meat or chicken

Favourite book: My early life by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah

Favourite quote: By Sheikh Zayed, the UAE's Founding Father, “Those who have no past will have no present or future.”

Updated: October 31, 2023, 6:15 PM