“Israeli” Airstrike on Sanaa Repelled by Yemeni Defenses

By Staff, Agencies

"Israeli" occupation forces [IOF] have reportedly launched an attack on the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, with strikes concentrated in the city’s southern sector.

According to the Yemeni Civil Defense, the attack targeted civilian facilities and infrastructure, with rescue teams immediately dispatched to the scene of the strikes.

According to a military source, Yemeni air defenses confronted several "Israeli" formations participating in the assault, forcing a number of aircraft to withdraw before they could launch strikes. The source said dozens of "Israeli" fighter jets had been deployed in a large-scale operation, but Yemeni forces set up multiple ambushes, successfully repelling much of the attack.

The military source confirmed that while most of the aerial aggression was foiled, the "Israeli" occupation resorted to using naval forces to strike the capital.

The source explained that the IOF sought to mount an extensive campaign using dozens of aircraft, yet the preparedness of Yemeni defenses disrupted the assault. 

"Our defenses succeeded in confronting the 'Israeli' aggression and thwarting most of its objectives,” the source said.

"Israeli" airstrikes on a press complex in Sanaa on September 10 claimed 31 journalists and media workers, marking the deadliest attack on media since the 2009 Maguindanao massacre, the Committee to Protect Journalists [CPJ] reported. 

The strike hit as staff finalized a weekly edition, also martyring a child accompanying a journalist, according editor-in-chief Nasser al-Khadri.

Recent "Israeli" strikes on Sanaa have claimed dozens and damaged homes, while Yemeni forces have responded with missile and drone attacks on "Israel" in support of Gaza.

Al-Khadri told CPJ the strike destroyed his newspaper’s press and century-old archives, calling the loss “deeply painful.” Rights groups stressed that targeting media is illegal under international law, regardless of political content.

Journalists are civilians under international law, said Niku Jafarnia, Yemen and Bahrain researcher at Human Rights Watch, noting media can only be targeted if directly aiding military operations.

The CPJ report links the Yemen attack to a wider pattern of "Israeli" strikes on journalists across Gaza, Lebanon, Iran, and Yemen since October 7, 2023, with at least 233 media workers martyred. 

The Sanaa strike echoes a June attack on Iran’s state broadcaster after threats from "Israeli" officials.