UPDATE - Israeli army claims to intercept surface-to-surface missile launched from Yemen

ADDS HOUTHI STATEMENT, CHANGES DECK

By Said Amori

JERUSALEM (AA) - The Israeli army claimed Saturday that it intercepted a missile launched from Yemen toward central Israel.

The military said in a brief statement that the surface-to-surface missile was detected and intercepted by air defense fighters outside the country's borders.

Earlier, sirens sounded all over central Israel.

The army said Friday that a missile was fired from Yemen toward Israel and successfully intercepted by the Arrow aerial defense system. Sirens and explosions were heard following the interception.​​​​​​​

Later, the Yemeni Houthi group announced that its forces targeted the Ben Gurion International Airport in southeast Tel Aviv with a ballistic missile as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was arriving from New York.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree confirmed the attack on the airport, located 12.3 kilometers (8 miles) from central Tel Aviv.

He stated in a televised statement that the operation was executed using a "Palestine 2" ballistic missile and vowed to continue retaliating against Israel, indicating a readiness to escalate attacks in defense of the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala