Jerusalem: A missile launched by Yemen’s Houthi forces struck Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport on Sunday, injuring two people and causing damage, the Israeli military and local authorities said.
Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency service said two people were injured due to the blast and a third person was hurt while running for shelter. Two others were treated for anxiety, the service said.
The military said in a statement that aerial defense systems attempted to intercept the missile but failed.
“Several attempts were made to intercept the missile,” a military spokesperson said. “A fall was identified in the area of Ben Gurion Airport.”
Footage circulating on social media showed the missile hitting a road leading to Terminal 3, the airport’s main terminal for international travel, with a large cloud of black smoke rising overhead. Other media reported that the missile created a crater dozens of meters wide and deep.
The Israel Airports Authority said all departures and landings were temporarily suspended, but airport operations were expected to resume “shortly.” Train services to the airport were also halted.
Police blocked access to the airport area, citing concerns about unexploded ordnance.
The Houthis have intensified missile and drone launches in recent weeks amid renewed U.S. airstrikes on their positions in Yemen.
UNI XINHUA
