The United Arab Emirates (UAE) claims to have intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels over Abu Dhabi, marking the latest escalation in Yemen’s long-running conflict.
Two people were wounded by a missile fired into southern Saudi Arabia, while another projectile was also destroyed, a week after another Houthi drone-and-missile strike on Abu Dhabi killed three civilians.
“The remnants of the intercepted ballistic missiles fell in separate areas around Abu Dhabi,” the UAE defense ministry issued a statement that was published by the state-run WAM news agency on Monday.
The UAE “is ready to deal with any threats and … takes all necessary measures to protect the state from all attacks”, the ministry was quoted saying.
Meanwhile, official media in Saudi Arabia said late on Sunday that a Houthi ballistic missile had hit a residential neighborhood in the kingdom’s south, wounding two individuals – a Bangladeshi and a Sudanese – and destroying workshops and cars in an industrial sector. According to a coalition statement, another missile was intercepted and destroyed over Dhahram al-Janub.
Later, a Houthi official stated the group had started attacks against the UAE and Saudi Arabia but did not elaborate.
According to the Houthi-run Al Masirah news channel, the organization will reveal the details of a “wide military operation” against Saudi Arabia and the UAE within hours.
