SANAA (AFP) — Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels said new air raids hit the country’s north on Saturday, shortly after they claimed responsibility for a missile attack on Israel.

A Houthi military statement said the raids were carried out in the Buhais area of Hajjah province’s Medi district, blaming “US-British aggression.”

There was no immediate comment from London or Washington.

The Houthis made the same claim about a raid they said hit a park in the capital Sanaa on Friday.

Hostilities have also flared between the rebels and Israel in recent days after a series of Houthi missile attacks prompted deadly Israeli air strikes in rebel-held areas on Thursday.

Six people were killed, including four at Sanaa airport, where World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was waiting for a flight.

On Saturday, the Houthis claimed they had “successfully” targeted the Nevatim base south of Jerusalem with a ballistic missile.

The Israelis had earlier said a missile launched from Yemen was shot down.

The Houthis, part of the “axis of resistance” of Iran-allied groups, have been firing at Israel and ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in solidarity with Palestinians since the war in the Gaza Strip broke out last year.

Escape from death

Ghebreyesus told BBC radio his ears were still ringing following Thursday’s attack as he prepared to board a flight in Sanaa.

Israeli air strikes hit Sanaa’s international airport and other targets in Yemen on Thursday. The attacks against what Israel’s military called rebel “military targets” marked the second time since 19 December that Israel has hit targets in Yemen after rebel missile fire towards Israel.

The United Nations health agency’s chief described the scene as the first strike hit.

“We heard a heavy explosion nearby, and then I think repeated,” Tedros said.

“The sound was so, so loud... So deafening, actually. Still my ear rings. It’s already more than 24 hours now. I don’t know if it affected my ear. The explosion was so heavy.

“It was the departure lounge next to us that was hit, and later on the control tower.

“It was very chaotic. People were in disarray and running everywhere and no shelter: we were completely exposed.

“It’s a matter of luck. Otherwise, if the missile deviated just slightly, it could have been on our heads... my colleague actually said after all that, we escaped death narrowly.”