In a significant escalation of tensions in the Middle East, Yemen's Houthi militia has declared war on Israel and launched a series of ballistic missiles and drones toward Israeli territory. The Iran-backed group announced on Tuesday that it had dispatched a "large batch" of ballistic and cruise missiles, along with drones, targeting locations in southern Israel. On November 1, 2023, Yemen Houthis published footage of their ballistic missile, drone, and cruise missile launches towards Israel from Yemen.
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Citing information published on X Social Network on October 31, 2023, Yemen's Houthi militants have launched ballistic missiles to target Israeli territory. (Picture source Video Footage Yemen's Houthi militia)
The Houthi military spokesman, Yahya Sarea, stated on the social media platform X on October 31, 2023, that this aggressive move was in retaliation to the ground operation initiated by the Israeli army in Gaza.
In response, the Israeli military reported that its aerial defense system successfully intercepted a surface-to-surface missile fired toward Israel from the vicinity of the Red Sea. Additionally, the defense system neutralized other "aerial threats" in the region, ensuring that none breached Israeli territory.
While the Israeli military has not explicitly attributed these attacks to any specific group, a senior official from the U.S. Department of Defense, who requested anonymity, revealed that the intercepted missiles originated from Yemen. These missiles reportedly had a range of approximately 1,930 kilometers (1,200 miles), underscoring the seriousness of the threat.
The Houthi rebels in Yemen have displayed a substantial ballistic missile capability, which has been a significant factor in the ongoing conflict in Yemen. Initially, their arsenal primarily consisted of missiles acquired from Yemeni military stockpiles, including Scud missiles and other short-range ballistic missiles. Over time, there have been numerous reports suggesting that Iran might have supplied the Houthis with missile technology and components, though Iran has frequently denied any direct involvement.
The types of missiles used by the Houthis include a mix of modified Scud missiles and domestically produced variants. They have introduced names like Qaher, Burkan (Volcano), and Badr for some of these domestically produced missiles, which differ in terms of range and payload capabilities. Their targeting has been extensive, ranging from military installations and airports to cities within Yemen, as well as hitting targets in neighboring countries, particularly Saudi Arabia. Some of the long-range ballistic missiles in their possession have even been directed at major Saudi cities, including Riyadh.
The Republic of Yemen armed forces are equipped with different types of SRBMs (Short-Range Ballistic Missile) coming from China, North Korea, Russia and Iran including Russian 9K72 Elbrus (RS-SS-1C Scud-B), North Korea Hwasong-5 (RS-SS-1C Scud-B, Hwasong-6 (RS-SS-1D Scud-C), and Iranian Borkan-1 (extended-range Scud derivative), Borkan-2H (Qiam-1), Qaher-1 (converted S-75 SAM) as well as Ground Launched Cruise Missiles Quds-1 and Quds-2.
Defense News November 2023
