Israel strikes Yemeni power plant near Houthi-controlled Sanaa

The Israeli military said it struck Houthi targets in Yemen overnight, leaving parts of the capital, Sanaa, without power.

Yemen's Houthi-run Al Masirah TV early on Sunday morning reported an attack at a power plant that put some of its generators out of service.

The channel did not attribute blame for the "aggression". It added that civil defence teams were working to extinguish a fire caused by the attack.

Israeli military spokesman Lt Col Avichai Adraee later confirmed in a statement that it carried out the attack.

The statement said the attack was in response to Houthi attacks on Israel and on shipping lanes. It said it "will act forcefully against the repeated attacks by the terrorist Houthi regime against Israeli citizens and remains determined to continue striking any threat to the state of Israel, no matter the distance".

Israel previously carried out strikes against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen in what it says is in response to their attacks on Israel.

It has typically attacked the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Isa and Salif, as well as the Ras Al Khatib power station. The last such attack launched by Israel was last month.

The Israeli army on Thursday said it intercepted a ballistic missile launched by the group off the coast of Eilat.

The Houthis have repeatedly launched projectiles towards Israel since October 2023 - the majority of which have been intercepted - and at ships believed to be Israeli-affiliated, in what they say is in support of Palestinians in Gaza.

The US and the UK have also previously launched attacks against the Houthis in Yemen. But, in May, Washington announced a surprise truce with the Iran-backed group, agreeing to stop the bombing campaign in return for an end to the attacks on the vital shipping lanes.

The Houthis pledged in June to resume attacks in the region after the US entered the Israel-Iran war with strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. Yemeni security sources told The National at the time that the rebels were considering renewed attacks on US sites around the Middle East and increasing attacks on Israel in support of Tehran.