The US THAAD missile defense system shot down a Houthi ballistic missile overnight after it was launched at Israel.
U.S. THAAD battery in Israel shot down a Houthi ballistic missile last night, the first successful intercept for the American air defense system in combat, a source close to the incident says.
— Lucas Tomlinson (@LucasFoxNews) December 27, 2024
A source told Reuters that a U.S. THAAD system, which has been placed in Israel, was used over the past 24 hours in an attempt to intercept a projectile fired from Yemen. This would mark the first use of the system since it was placed in Israel.
— Idrees Ali (@idreesali114) December 27, 2024
Here’s video:
The US THAAD system helped take down the Houthi ballistic missile launched at Israel last night.
Sound on to hear an American soldier say: “18 years I’ve been waiting for this” pic.twitter.com/mvebN7pMEv
— Aviva Klompas (@AvivaKlompas) December 27, 2024
Trey Yingst says the cost of this intercept is over $12 million:
Reports indicate that an American THAAD system deployed to Israel shot down the incoming ballistic missile launched by the Houthis overnight.
Approximate cost per interceptor: $12-15 million USD.
— Trey Yingst (@TreyYingst) December 27, 2024
This comes after Israel hit Yemen with retaliatory strikes targeting their terrorist infrastructure:
The Israeli military said airstrikes in Yemen on Thursday targeted the Houthi rebel-held capital of Sanaa and the port city of Hodeida. The World Health Organization’s director-general said the bombardment occurred as he was about to board a flight in Sanaa, injuring a crew member. Israel’s army later told The Associated Press it wasn’t aware that the WHO chief was at the location.
“The air traffic control tower, the departure lounge — just a few meters from where we were — and the runway were damaged,” WHO’s Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X, adding that he and his colleagues were safe. “We will need to wait for the damage to the airport to be repaired before we can leave.” He didn’t mention the source of the bombardment.
The Israel Defense Forces said targets included “military infrastructure used by the Houthi terrorist regime for its military activities in both the Sana’a International Airport and the Hezyaz and Ras Kanatib power stations,” as well as other military infrastructure at several ports.
The Iran-backed Houthis’ media outlet confirmed the strikes in a Telegram post but gave no immediate details. Houthi media said three people were killed in the strikes and 14 injured.
I’m glad to see our missile defense system working for Israel in conjunction with it’s own arrow system. That’s one decision by Biden that I am glad he made.
