The “Arrow” Aerial Defense System on Friday afternoon successfully intercepted a surface-to-surface missile that approached Israeli territory in the area of the Red Sea, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit confirmed. The missile was likely fired from Yemen by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, who have upped their attacks in the region since October 7. The confirmation came after residents of the Arava region reported hearing explosions, as a result of the interception of the missile. Later on Friday evening, Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for firing the missile. In November, Israeli Air Defense Array soldiers for the first time successfully launched an "Arrow 3" interceptor operationally. The interceptor effectively intercepted a target launched towards Israel in the Red Sea region. The interception marked the Arrow 3 system's first operational interception since its operational deployment in 2017. (Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)
