Eilat (South24 Center)

The Israeli military said on Monday (September 8) that its Air Force intercepted three drones launched from Yemen by the Iran-backed Houthi group within half an hour over southern Israel.

A military spokesperson said air raid sirens sounded in the Eilat area near Ramon Airport and in the city of Dimona during the interception of two drones. A third drone was downed without sirens being triggered “in accordance with protocol”, as it was detected before it could pose any actual threat on the ground. He added that no injuries or damage were reported.

The latest escalation comes less than 24 hours after a Houthi drone struck the arrivals hall of Ramon International Airport near Eilat on Sunday, wounding eight people according to Israel Hayom, and causing panic among staff. The airport was closed for two hours before operations resumed following security checks.

An initial Air Force investigation indicated that the drone which hit the airport on Sunday had been tracked by radar but was not classified as a direct threat, preventing air defenses or sirens from being activated.

The Houthi group claimed responsibility for Sunday’s attack, vowing to continue targeting Israeli airports and shipping lanes in the Red Sea.

These developments follow Israel’s assassination of Houthi Prime Minister Ahmed Ghaleb al-Rahwi and several of his ministers in an airstrike on Sanaa on August 28.