JERUSALEM/SANAA, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- A missile fired from Yemen landed in central Israel on Friday evening without causing casualties, the Israeli military and emergency services said.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the missile appeared to have fragmented in midair, with shrapnel falling near Ben Gurion Airport, according to Channel 12 News. Air raid sirens sounded across central Israel, including Tel Aviv and West Jerusalem, after smartphone alerts were issued.

The launch came hours after Israel said it intercepted a drone fired from Yemen toward villages near the Gaza Strip. No damage or casualties were reported in that incident.

Earlier on Friday, the Israeli Air Force said it struck energy infrastructure used by Yemen's Houthi group in the capital Sanaa. The Houthis later claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying they had targeted Ben Gurion Airport with a hypersonic ballistic missile and drones in response to Israel's war in Gaza.

The Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen, have launched missiles and drones at Israel and Israeli-linked shipping since November, while Israel has carried out retaliatory airstrikes on Houthi-controlled areas, including Sanaa and the Red Sea port of Hodeidah. ■