Sanaa, Jun 11: Yemen's Houthi group claimed responsibility for launching two missile attacks toward Israel's Ben Gurion Airport.

"We targeted Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, using two ballistic missiles, one of which was a hypersonic," Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in the statement, aired by Houthi-run al-Masirah TV.

"One of the missiles directly hit Ben Gurion Airport, and the interceptor systems failed to intercept it," Sarea said, adding, "Our decision to ban air traffic to and from Ben Gurion Airport remains in effect, and we warn the remaining airline companies to immediately halt their flights."

Sarea noted that the group's missile attacks against Israel were "in response to the Israeli missile aggression on Yemen's ports of Hodeidah."

Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that its air defenses likely intercepted a ballistic missile fired from Yemen over central Israel. The IDF didn't mention the second missile attack claimed by the Houthis, and no casualties were reported.

Earlier in the day, the Israeli military conducted strikes against three ports in Yemen's western province of Hodeidah, which are under Houthi control. The strikes destroyed facilities and docks, Xinhua news agency reported quoting Houthi television.

The IDF said that the strikes were in response to the Houthi attacks against Israel.

The Houthi-controlled ports in Hodeidah have been targeted by the Israeli military several times during the past few months.

The Houthi group, which controls much of northern Yemen, has also been targeting Israeli targets and ships since November 2023 to show solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

(IANS)

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