From the Liveblog of
Sunday, September 15, 2024
IDF says Houthi missile disintegrated in air after several attempts to down it
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
The military made several attempts to intercept a ballistic missile fired from Yemen by the Iran-backed Houthis at central Israel this morning, the IDF says, though the results of the attempts are still being investigated.
The army says the missile fell apart in the air, citing an initial probe.
“From a preliminary examination, it appears that the missile apparently disintegrated in the air,” the IDF says.
The missile was launched at around 6:21 a.m., and sirens sounded across central Israel at 6:32 a.m. According to the Houthis, the missile reached hypersonic speeds and reached Israel in 11 minutes. Some have questioned more warning time was not given.
The military attempted to shoot down the missile using both the long-range Arrow defense system and the Iron Dome, which is usually used for shorter-range attacks, the IDF says.
Shrapnel from the missile and the interceptors impacted open areas in the Ben Shemen forest, close to Kfar Daniel, as well as at a train station near Modiin. No serious injuries were reported.
