SANAA: Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels on Wednesday said they had fired cruise missiles “deep inside” Israel, although there was no confirmation from Israeli authorities.

The statement by the Houthis’ armed forces came after Iran launched a barrage of missiles at Israel late on Tuesday, deepening the conflict in the region.

“The missile force of the Yemeni Armed Forces carried out a military operation targeting military sites deep inside the Zionist entity (Israel) in occupied Palestine with three Quds 5 cruise missiles,” the statement said.

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“The missiles were able to successfully reach their targets amid the enemy’s secrecy about the results of the operation.”

The timing of the Houthis’ claimed attack was not clear. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.

Last week, the rebels said they fired a missile at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, prompting Israeli air strikes on war-torn Yemen including the vital port of Hodeida.

The Houthis, who have controlled large swathes of Yemen for a decade, are part of Iran’s “axis of resistance” against Israel and the United States.

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Since November, they have been attacking shipping off their coast in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in what they say is a show of solidarity with Palestinians during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.