IDF Pounds Houthi Strongholds in Yemen, Over 50 Terrorists Eliminated

The Israel Air Force, guided by IDF intelligence, launched a large-scale strike on Thursday targeting the Houthi regime’s security and intelligence infrastructure around Sanaa in Yemen. Over 50 terrorists were killed and the strikes are expected to escalate, the army said.

Strikes hit the Houthis’ General Staff Command Headquarters, facilities tied to their security and intelligence network, their military public relations hub, and training bases where weapons and operatives had been identified.

The IDF explained the mission was carried out in response to the Houthis’ repeated terror attacks on Israel, including UAV and missile launches directed at Israeli civilians.

“The security and intelligence apparatus is one of the internal security mechanisms of the Houthi terrorist regime; it takes part in terrorist activities and directly contributes to military actions against the State of Israel that undermine stability in the Middle East. The security and intelligence apparatus is also involved in repressing regime opponents through the use of political prisons and torture,” the IDF said.

The military added that “the military camps that were struck are used by the Houthi terrorist regime to store weapons and to plan and execute terrorist attacks against the State of Israel. The Houthi terrorist regime operate under Iranian direction and funding in order to harm the State of Israel and its allies. The regime exploits the maritime domain to project force and carry out terror activity against the global shipping and trade routes.”

This marked the IDF’s 15th strike on Yemen, with around 20 aircraft dropping more than 65 munitions,the heaviest strike yet,on seven targets some 2,200 kilometers from Israel, including five active command centers and two weapons depots.

Defense Minister Yisrael Katz confirmed the strikes, declaring: “We have just delivered a powerful strike against multiple terror targets belonging to the Houthi terror organization in Sanaa as part of operation ‘Package Delivered.’ The IDF struck several military camps, including a Houthi General Staff camp, eliminated dozens of Houthi terrorists, and destroyed UAV and weapons stockpiles. As I promised yesterday, whoever harms us will be struck sevenfold.”

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu gave the order from the “Wing of Zion” aircraft while flying to New York, receiving ongoing updates from Katz, the IDF Chief of Staff, and his Military Secretary.

The strikes followed a deadly UAV attack during Rosh Hashana when a drone hit near the Club Hotel by Eilat’s Mall Hayam, wounding more than 20 people. Three critically injured victims were airlifted from Yoseftal Hospital in Eilat to Soroka Medical Center in Be’er Sheva. MDA confirmed casualties inside the hotel lobby and an adjacent restaurant.