Dubai: The UAE said Monday it intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels towards the Gulf country with no casualties reported, the third such incident this month.
The defense ministry said in a statement that United Arab Emirates “air defenses intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the Houthi rebels towards the country”.
It added that debris fell in an unpopulated area and there were no casualties.
The defense ministry also said it destroyed the Houthi missile launcher in Yemen, without specifying its location.
The Emirates affirms its “full readiness to deal with any threats” and will “take all necessary measures to protect the UAE from any attacks”, it added.
The incident on Monday marks the third attack on the Emirates this month, with three foreign workers killed in the first assault on January 17 and the second a week later that was intercepted.
It also coincides with Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s first official visit to the UAE after the two countries normalized relations in 2020.
However, a statement from his office on Monday said that he will “continue his visit as planned”.
The UAE authorities said that the incident had no impact on air traffic, with flight operations proceeding normally.
The Iran-backed Houthis have yet to comment on Monday’s attack but said they will release a statement “in the coming hours” about an operation in the UAE.
The Houthi attacks are in response to a series of rebel defeats on the ground in Yemen inflicted by a UAE-trained militia.
The UAE is part of a Saudi-led military coalition that supports Yemen’s government against the Iran-backed Houthis.
In 2019, the UAE withdrew its troops from Yemen but remains an influential player.
