The United Arab Emirates shot down a ballistic missile fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels during a visit by Israel’s president yesterday, the latest attack to rattle the Middle East financial hub.
Nobody was hurt in the early-hours attack, the third in consecutive weeks on the wealthy Gulf nation that is part of the coalition fighting the rebels.
“Air defence forces...intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the Houthi group at the UAE,” the defence ministry said, according to the official WAM news agency.
It said fragments of debris fell “outside” populated areas, without giving further details.
The ministry said it responded by destroying the missile launch site in Yemen’s northern Al-Jawf region, releasing black-and-white footage of the explosion.
The latest rebel missile was fired as Isaac Herzog makes the first visit to the UAE by an Israeli president, after the countries established diplomatic ties under the 2020 Abraham Accords.
Herzog visited Dubai’s Expo 2020 site and held talks with the UAE Prime Minister and ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid al-Maktoum.
Herzog said his visit “symbolises hope, peace, and a great future for our nations, the region, and the world at large.”
The Houthis’ top political leader, Mahdi al-Mashat, said “these three consecutive weekly operations show our ability and determination to carry out what we threatened until the Emirates gives up its aggression and siege”, quoted by the Houthi-run Saba news agency.
Saudi Arabia and France joined the United States in condemning the Houthi attack.
“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,” US State Department spokesman Ned Price tweeted.
Yesterday’s attack was the latest in a series against the Emirates.
This image grab from footage released by the UAE Ministry of Defence yesterday reportedly shows the destruction of a missile launch site operated by the Houthis in Al-Jawf in northern Yemen.
