Army says trio of suspected Houthi drones downed, ending short-lived lull
Sirens sound in southern community of Gvulot as first UAV intercepted, 2 more within hour shot down over sea; official tally finds Houthis has fired 40 missiles, 320+ drones in war
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
Israel’s air force intercepted three drones apparently launched at the country by Yemen’s Houthis in quick succession on Thursday evening, the military said, marking the first attack in days by the Iran-backed terror group.
No injuries or damage were reported in the attacks, with only one of the three UAVs seemingly reaching Israeli territory. The launches came hours after the IDF released data tallying over 350 drones and ballistic missiles fired by the group at Israel since October 7, 2023.
The first drone set off sirens in the southern community of Gvulot, some 20 kilometers from the border with Egypt. The Israel Defense Forces said the sirens were activated there “according to protocol.”
In a statement, the IDF said the drone was launched at Israel “from the east,” and initial military assessments found the drone had been fired from Yemen.
Footage posted to social media from the incident appeared to show Israeli Air Force helicopters shooting down the drone. Residents of the area also reported seeing an interceptor missile launched.
Another image shared online showed that the remains of the intercepted drone crashed in an open field.
Footage shows the interception of an apparent Houthi drone over southern Israel this evening.
The drone was shot down by Israeli Air Force helicopters. pic.twitter.com/Ji0rsS6zuQ
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) January 9, 2025
Minutes later, the military said a second drone launched at Israel from Yemen was intercepted by the IAF over the Mediterranean Sea.
No sirens sounded in the second incident as no towns were under any threat.
Less than an hour after that, the military said a third drone “from the east” — likely from Yemen — was intercepted by the IAF over the Mediterranean Sea, before reaching Israel.
The IDF later published footage showing one of the drones being knocked down.
מצורף תיעוד של יירוט כלי הטיס הבלתי מאויש במרחב הים התיכון, ששוגר מתימן מוקדם יותר הערב pic.twitter.com/0n09PbYJvk
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) January 9, 2025
There was no immediate Houthi claim for the attacks, though the Israeli military believed that the terror group was behind them. The launches appeared to be the first targeting Israel from Yemen since just after midnight on Sunday morning, following several weeks that have seen near-daily attacks by the rabidly anti-Israel Houthis.
In past attacks, drones launched by the Iran-backed group from Yemen have crossed into southern Israel via the Egypt border or made a long route — also via Egypt — to reach Israel from the west.
The strikes came hours after the IDF released new data on attacks on Israel from Yemen since the onset of the war, which began with Hamas’s October 7, 2023, terror onslaught.
According to the military, the Houthis have launched some 40 ballistic missiles at Israel, the vast majority of which were intercepted by Israeli air defenses.
In one case, the military failed to shoot down a Houthi missile, and there were two incidents of partial interceptions, all of which resulted in damage and injuries in Israel.
According to the military, some of the Houthi ballistic missiles fell short before reaching Israel.
Additionally, the IDF said it has recorded over 320 drones launched at Israel from Yemen amid the war.
Over 100 of the drones were intercepted by the IAF using ground-based air defense systems, fighter jets, and helicopters. Several drones were also shot down by the Israeli Navy.
There have been two cases of what the IDF called “effective” drone impacts in Israel, with causalities and damage, while the others either struck open areas or did not reach the country, according to the military.
The Iran-backed Houthis have ramped up missile and drone attacks on Israel since early December, though Thursday’s incidents ended a rare lull that had lasted several days.
On Monday, the Houthis claimed to have launched four drones at Israel, targeting a “vital target” near Ashkelon, and targets near Tel Aviv. The IDF said it was unaware of any drones reaching Israel that day from Yemen, and there were no reports of impacts.
Israel and Western allies have carried out several sorties against Houthi targets in Yemen, but they have failed to stem the attacks.
The IAF last struck the Houthis out on December 26. Since then, the Iran-backed group has fired five ballistic missiles and at least four drones at Israel.
The Yemeni rebels have also been firing at ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden — destabilizing a vital shipping lane and prompting reprisal strikes by the United States and sometimes Britain against Houthi targets.
