UAE Intercepts Missile Fired by Houthis, Says Attack is Third of the Month
The Iran-backed Houthis are at war with the exiled Yemeni government, which is backed by a Saudi led coalition.
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The United Arab Emirates announced on Monday, 31 January, that it shot down a ballistic missile that was fired by Houthi rebels in Yemen, Reuters reported.
The attack was the third such incident in the month and happened when Israel's president was visiting the UAE.
No casualties were reported.
"Air defence forces... intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the Houthi terrorist group at the UAE," the defence ministry informed news channels in the country.
Black-and-white footage of the explosion was also released by the ministry.
The first missile attack killed three oil workers in Abu Dhabi on 17 January.
Two of the victims were Indian nationals, while one of them was a Pakistani national.
The Houthi rebels had claimed responsibility, and had promised to keep up the assault.
A second missile, again fired by the Houthis, was intercepted one week later.
Rebel military spokesman Yahya Saree has warned "foreign companies, citizens and residents in the UAE that they would not hesitate to expand the targets to include more important sites and facilities", as quoted in the Reuters report.
The United States has condemned the latest attack.
"We condemn the latest Houthi missile attack on Abu Dhabi. While Israel's president is visiting the UAE to build bridges and promote stability across the region, the Houthis continue to launch attacks that threaten civilians," Ned Price, who is a spokesperson for the US State Department, tweeted.
The Iran-backed Houthis are at war with exiled Yemeni government led by Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, which is supported by a coalition of Arab countries led by Saudi Arabia.
The UAE is one of the countries in this coalition.
A more detailed understanding of the conflict between the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthi rebels can be found here.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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