Houthi Missiles Fired over UAE And Saudi Arabia
By Donald Standeford, Correspondent - Follow -
Date Published: January 24, 2022 07:00AM UTC
Last Modified: January 24, 2022 07:00AM UTC
UAE - Houthi ballistic missiles were fired over Abu Dhabi in the UAE as well as a number of places in Saudi Arabia with a warning that more attacks are to come. Saudi-led response knocks out internet in Yemen.
The UAE intercepted two missiles fired at the country and eliminated them. They also destroyed the launcher site in Al Jawf, Northwestern Yemen with F-16 fighter jets.
The United Arab Emirates reported no casualties in the Houthi attack according to its defense ministry who said "The remnants of the intercepted ballistic missiles fell in separate areas around Abu Dhabi".
The Ministry of Defense put out a tweet saying "MOD Joint Operations Command announces that at 04:10 hrs Yemen time an F-16 destroyed a ballistic missile launcher in Al Jawf, immediately after it launched two ballistic missiles at Abu Dhabi. They were successfully intercepted by our air defense systems. Video attached".
The attack was the second attack on the UAE in the last few weeks after the first attack hit a fuel depot in the capital Abu Dhabi and killed three people in the resulting explosion which also caused a fire.
A Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said that the Houthi carried out the "Second Hurricane of Yemen Operation" on "sensitive sites" in Saudi Arabia as well as the UAE.
According to claims by Saree, the al-Dhafra Air Base as well as other sensitive site in Abu Dhabi were hit by a 'large number' of Zolfagher ballistic missiles. They also claimed that sites in Dubai were hit with a large number of Samad-3 drones.
The Houthis launched Samad-1 and Qasef drones along with ballistic missiles at a number of sites in Saudi Arabia. Saree stated that military bases in Sharuah, Saudi Arabia were 'destroyed', also saying that 'the operation achieved its goals with high accuracy'.
Saree said that the Houthis are seeking to expand their operations even more to match any escalation.
Saree warned that the Houthi want foreign companies and investors to leave the UAE and that the country has become 'unsafe' and would be continually targeted as long as it 'it continues its aggression and siege of the Yemeni people'.
The US Embassy and Consulate in the UAE has advised American citizens in the country to "maintain a high level of security awareness" in a statement Monday.
Meanwhile, the Saudi-led coalition have increased the number of airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen. Reports say 70 people were killed and 130 injured after a strike on a detention center in the northern province of Houthi controlled Sanaa on Tuesday.
The airstrikes also caused an internet blackout that has lasted for days in Yemen after a telecommunications building in the port city of Hodeidah was hit by missiles.
