Jerusalem, 24 January, 2022 (TPS) — The United Arab Emirates (UAE) air defense forces intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles targeting the UAE, which were fired by the Houthi terrorist militia, the Defense Ministry announced Monday.
The ministry confirmed that there were no casualties resulting from the attack, as the fragments of the ballistic missiles fell in different areas around the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi.
In its statement, the ministry affirmed its “full readiness to deal with any threats,” adding that it will “take all necessary measures to protect the UAE from any attacks.” The ministry also called on the public to follow the news from the UAE’s official authorities.
The UAE later targeted and destroyed the launcher in Yemen from which the two missiles were fired.
The Houthis stated that they fired ballistic missiles at the Al Dhafra Air Base in Abu Dhabi, and their drones attacked targets in Dubai and in Saudi Arabia, including a Sharurah base in the south of the country.
This is the second attack by Iran-backed Houthis on the UAE. An attack a week ago on the Musaffah ICAD 3 area near the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) Abu Dhabi International Airport killed three and injured six others. Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for that attack as well.
Israel is closely these developments with an understanding that the south of the country and the port city of Eilat are within the range of the Houthis’ arsenal.
Zvi Yehezkeli, Channel 13 commentator on Arab affairs, warned that the Houthi threat to Israel “is a serious threat. Iran has taken over Yemen. The threats must be taken seriously. Their missiles can also be aimed at the south of the country.
He estimated that “it will not be long before Israel will have to attack the Houthis in Yemen.”
Israeli analyst Yoni Ben Menachem, of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs (JCPA), pointed out after last week’s attack that the Iranian precise drones have “become a real danger in the Middle East.”
These drones are deployed in Yemen, and possibly in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon.
The UAV attack by the Houthi rebels from Yemen on Abu Dhabi airport is “just a small example of what the Iranians plan to do to Israel,” he warned.
The current assessment in Israel is that the attack was “massive and large and was planned with the help of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC),” he said.
Israeli intelligence is analyzing the attack, and there is a concern in Israel about the Houthi rebels’ precise attack capabilities using Iranian drones.
The Houthi leader, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, presented a direct threat to countries and companies in the United Arab Emirates, including Israel and Israeli companies
“As of today, all countries and companies that have investments in the UAE should not treat the UAE as a safe country,” he declared last week.
Israel has recently successfully upgraded the Iron Dome Defense capabilities to counter drone threats as well.