SANAA/JERUSALEM -- Yemen's Houthi armed forces said on Saturday that they had launched a barrage of ballistic missiles targeting "sensitive Israeli military sites" in southern Israel.

This marked the group's first such attack since Israel and the United States started massive attacks on Iran a month ago.

In a televised statement aired by Houthi-run al-Masirah TV, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said the operation was launched as part of direct military intervention "in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the resistance fronts in Lebanon, Iraq and Palestine," amid continued regional military escalation and attacks on infrastructure.

The missile attack "successfully achieved its objectives," he said, adding that it coincided with military operations carried out by Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The group said its military operations will continue until its declared objectives are met and "the aggression against resistance fronts comes to an end."

A few hours ago, the Israel Defense Forces announced that the Israeli air defense systems successfully intercepted a missile fired from Yemen toward Israel.

The launch from Yemen set off air defense sirens in large areas of southern Israel, sending thousands rushing to shelters, with no casualties reported.

On Friday night, Yemen's Houthi group warned it may intervene militarily if regional tensions keep escalating, especially if the Red Sea is used for operations against Iran.

The Houthis said their "fingers are on the trigger" if additional alliances join the United States and Israel against Iran and "the axis of resistance."

On Thursday, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, leader of the group, said his group stands ready to take military action if developments in the Middle East conflict warrant it, while reiterating strong ties with Iran.

Local observers said the missile strike on Saturday appears to signal the Houthis' formal entry into the widening regional conflict, following weeks of threats to intervene should the confrontation involving Iran continue to escalate.

The development came amid heightened tensions following joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran starting on Feb 28, to which Iran and its regional allies responded with attacks on Israeli and US interests across the Middle East.