Israeli Airstrikes in Sanaa Kill Two, Leave Dozens Wounded in Civilian Areas
Israeli air raids on Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, left at least two people dead and more than 30 injured on Sunday, according to figures released by the Huthi-run health ministry.
The strikes set off a massive blaze in the night sky and blanketed the city with thick smoke, eyewitness images showed.
Local residents reported that civilian infrastructure was among the targets. Al-Masirah, the Huthi-affiliated television station, said an oil company facility in central Sanaa was hit, while the group’s officials confirmed a power station in the city’s south was struck again after being previously damaged last week.
The Huthi health ministry described the victims as “two martyrs and 35 wounded.” A security source within the group told AFP that at least one of the raids was carried out near a building in central Sanaa.
Israel’s military said its warplanes struck a “military compound” housing the presidential palace, as well as two power plants and a fuel depot, insisting the operation was a direct response to Huthi attacks on Israeli territory.
“The strikes were in response to repeated attacks by the Huthi terrorist regime against the State of Israel and its civilians,” the army said, pointing to a missile launched late Friday that carried a cluster warhead.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, monitoring the operations from a command center alongside Defense Minister Israel Katz and army chief Eyal Zamir, praised the action. In a statement from his office, he declared:
“The terrorist Huthi regime is learning the hard way that it will pay — and has paid already — a very high price for its aggression against the State of Israel. The whole region is also learning a lesson in Israeli power.”
The Huthis, however, pledged to continue their campaign, vowing in a statement that they would “not deviate from the fight” against Israel and the United States until the war in Gaza ends and the blockade is lifted.
Iran’s foreign ministry condemned Sunday’s strikes, aligning with its Huthi allies.
Since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict in October 2023, the Huthis have carried out repeated missile and drone assaults on Israel, most of which have been intercepted.
Israeli warplanes have responded with strikes inside Yemen, frequently hitting energy infrastructure and military-linked facilities in Sanaa.
Beyond missile attacks on Israel, the rebels have targeted commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, claiming links to Israel.
Their campaign later widened to include ships associated with the United States and Britain after both nations launched joint strikes in January to protect international shipping lanes.
Punch
