Dubai
\nThe UAE said Monday it intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by Yemen\u2019s Houthi rebels towards the Gulf country with no casualties reported, the third such incident this month.
\nThe defence ministry said in a statement that United Arab Emirates \u201cair defences intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the Houthi rebels towards the country\u201d.
\nIt added that debris fell in an unpopulated area and there were no casualties.
\nThe defence ministry also said it destroyed the Houthi missile launcher in Yemen, without specifying its location.
\nThe Emirates affirms its \u201cfull readiness to deal with any threats\u201d and will \u201ctake all necessary measures to protect the UAE from any attacks\u201d, it added.
\nThe 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.
\nIt also coincides with the Israeli President Isaac Herzog\u2019s first official visit to the UAE after the two countries normalised relations in 2020.
\nHowever, a statement from his office on Monday said that he will \u201ccontinue his visit as planned\u201d.
\nThe UAE authorities said that the incident had no impact on air traffic, with flight operations proceeding normally.
\nThe Iran-backed Houthis have yet to comment on Monday\u2019s attack but said they will release a statement \u201cin the coming hours\u201d about an operation in the UAE.
\nThe Houthi attacks are in response to a series of rebel defeats on the ground in Yemen inflicted by a UAE-trained militia.
\nThe UAE is part of a Saudi-led military coalition that supports Yemen\u2019s government against the Iran-backed Houthis.
\nIn 2019, the UAE withdrew its troops from Yemen but remains an influential player.
\nAn Emirati official said Thursday that Houthi attacks would not become a \u201cnew normal\u201d for the UAE, vowing a robust defence.
\n\u201cThis is not going to be the new normal for the UAE,\u201d the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
\n\u201cWe refuse to acquiesce to the threat of Houthi terror that targets our people and way of life,\u201d the official added.
\nThe rebels have warned of further attacks on the UAE, which hosts American troops and is one of the world\u2019s biggest arms buyers.
\n\u201cThe UAE has world class defence capabilities and is constantly seeking to update them,\u201d said the official, adding that the Houthi rebels \u201cmust be\u201d designated as a terrorist organisation.
\nYemen\u2019s civil war began in 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa, prompting Saudi-led forces to intervene to prop up the government the following year.
\nThe conflict has killed hundreds of thousands of people directly or indirectly and left millions on the brink of famine, according to the UN which calls it the world\u2019s worst humanitarian catastrophe.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dubai The UAE said Monday it intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by Yemen\u2019s Houthi rebels towards the Gulf country with no casualties reported, the third such incident this month. The defence ministry said in a statement that United Arab Emirates \u201cair defences intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the Houthi rebels […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-241911","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n