UAE shoots down two Houthi missiles, says defense ministry
Dubai, UAE, Jan 24 (EFE).- he United Arab Emirates Monday “intercepted and destroyed” two ballistic missiles launched by the Yemeni Houthi militia without any casualty, said the defense ministry.
The thwarted missile attack comes a week after a deadly strike on a fuel depot in the capital, Abu Dhabi.
Emirati news agency WAM quoted the ministry saying that “the fragments of the ballistic missiles fell in different areas around Abu Dhabi.”
The ministry confirmed that there were no casualties from the attack.
A ministry statement affirmed the country’s “full readiness to deal with any threats.”
The Arab country “will take all necessary measures to protect the UAE from any attacks,” the statement said.
The Houthi rebels in Yemen have neither denied nor owned the responsibility for the latest missile attack.
The Houthis have been fighting a Saudi-led military alliance, which includes the UAE, for more than six years.
The rebels have repeatedly carried out cross-border missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia.
Last Monday, they launched an assault on the UAE that left three people dead and wounded six.
The Houthis claimed responsibility for the missile and drone attack on Abu Dhabi International Airport and an industrial zone in the emirate.
In retaliation, the Saudi-led military coalition launched an aerial bombing campaign against Yemen last Monday.
Since then, the coalition forces have launched various attacks on Houthi areas and targets in Yemen.
On Friday, an alleged Saudi-led airstrike in Saada killed at least 87 people when a bomb hit a temporary detention center in the northern province.
The coalition has, however, denied its involvement in the attack.
Similarly, about 20 people were killed in the Houthi-held capital of Sanaa on Tuesday. EFE
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