The Israeli Navy on Sunday morning launched strikes against a power plant south of the Houthi-controlled capital of Yemen, the military and a defense official said.
The Israel Defense Forces, in a statement, said the strike hit “energy infrastructure used by the Houthi terror regime,” near Sanaa, in response to “repeated attacks by the Houthi terror regime against the State of Israel and its citizens, including the launching of surface-to-surface missiles and UAVs toward Israeli territory.”
Local media reported large explosions in the area that knocked generators out of service.
The Houthi-run Al Masirah TV blamed the explosion on “aggression,” without identifying the source. Teams were working to put out a fire caused by the incident, Al Masirah added, citing a source in civil defense.
An Israeli defense official confirmed the strike was carried out by Navy missile boats. It was only the second time that the Navy has struck in Yemen, after an attack on the Houthi-controlled Hodeida port in June.
Sunday’s strike marked the fourteenth time that Israel has attacked the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, located some 1,800 kilometers (1,100 miles) away.
Most of the strikes have been carried out by Israeli Air Force fighter jets; the last strike on the Houthis, in July, was carried out by an IAF drone, for the first time.
In the interim, the Houthis have launched seven ballistic missiles and at least seven drones at Israel, attacks that caused no damage or injuries.
The Houthis last attacked Israel on Thursday morning with a ballistic missile that was intercepted.
The Houthis — whose slogan calls for “Death to America, Death to Israel, [and] a Curse on the Jews” — began attacking Israel and maritime traffic in November 2023, a month after the October 7 Hamas massacre.
The Houthis held their fire during a ceasefire that was reached between Israel and Hamas in January 2025. By that point, they had fired over 40 ballistic missiles and dozens of attack drones and cruise missiles at Israel, including one that killed a civilian and wounded several others in Tel Aviv in July, prompting Israel’s first strike in Yemen.
Since March 18, when the IDF resumed its offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis in Yemen have launched 69 ballistic missiles and at least 22 drones at Israel. Several of the missiles have fallen short.
Agencies contributed to this report.