Buena Vista Pictures | Stone | Getty Pictures
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The United Arab Emirates intercepted two incoming ballistic missiles over its capital Abu Dhabi early Monday morning, state media company WAM reported.
“The Ministry of Defence introduced on Monday that its air defence forces had intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles concentrated on the UAE, that have been fired by way of the Houthi terrorist armed forces,” the company reported.
The ministry showed that there have been no casualties from the assault, and that “fragments of the ballistic missiles fell in numerous spaces” round Abu Dhabi.
The U.S. State Division issued a safety alert in a while after the tried assault, caution American citizens within the space to take precautionary measures.
“There were stories of a conceivable missile assault and accompanying missile protection process over Abu Dhabi early this morning. The Embassy reminds all U.S. electorate within the United Arab Emirates to take care of a prime stage of safety consciousness,” the alert learn.
The focused missile release comes only one week after a perilous Houthi-claimed assault on Abu Dhabi that used what UAE officers say had been drones and missiles. The moves hit a gasoline garage facility of state oil company ADNOC and a development web page close to Abu Dhabi World airport, killing 3 other folks.
“The Houthi armed forces in Yemen has claimed duty for the January 17 assault on Abu Dhabi and said an intent to assault neighboring international locations, together with the UAE, the usage of missiles and unmanned aerial techniques (drones),” the State Division alert mentioned.
The Houthis, a Yemeni rebellion motion sponsored by way of Iran, have since 2015 been at warfare with a Saudi-led coalition that comes with the UAE. The bloody and drawn-out war, which has driven tens of 1000’s of Yemenis into famine, used to be prompt with the Saudi-led bombing offensive that began in March of 2015 after Houthi militants took over Yemen’s executive and driven out a management that used to be sponsored by way of the Saudis.
Whilst Abu Dhabi in large part diminished its nation’s flooring forces from Yemen in 2019, it nonetheless helps proxy forces there, a few of that have stripped Houthis of key territorial positive aspects after months of heavy preventing. Analysts say the assaults at the UAE are retaliation for that.
Drone use — even business — has been banned around the UAE, and the Ministry of Protection mentioned Monday it has “complete readiness to maintain any threats,” and that it’s going to “take all essential measures to offer protection to the UAE from any assaults.”