Dubai / Riyadh / Sana – On Monday morning, Houthi rebels in Yemen launched ballistic missile attacks on the UAE and Saudi Arabia. The UAE’s air defence system intercepted the missile strikes on Abu Dhabi’s capital. While two people were injured in a missile attack on the Saudi city of Jazan. After that, the Houthi rebels have warned of intensifying attacks on the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, the Houthi rebels threatened that the US and French troops stationed at military bases alongside major cities in the UAE were on their target.
There were ballistic missile attacks on the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi, at around 4 am on Monday. This stands to be the second Houthi attack that occurred, aiming at the capital Abu Dhabi, within the week. Three foreign nationals were killed in last week’s attack. But Monday’s missile strikes were intercepted by the UAE’s air defence system. Remnants of missiles destroyed in this action fell in separate areas of the city of Abu Dhabi.
Around this time, Houthis fired missiles at two cities to the south of Saudi Arabia, Jazan and Dhahran Al Janub. Of these, the Saudi air defence system got success in intercepting the missiles into pieces coming towards the city of Dhahran. But two foreign nationals were injured when a missile collapsed on the city of Jazan. It has been clarified that there was a Bangladeshi among them.
Besides, the UAE dispatched F-16 fighter jets and attacked Al-Jawf in the city of Yemen under Houthi-rebel control in the next few minutes. Insurgents had launched ballistic missiles through this city itself. The UAE system claims to have destroyed the Houthi base in the city. The UAE released a video of the operation at the site of the Houthi rebels. The Houthi rebels then warned of new attacks on the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
‘We are ready to expand the operation during the next phase and confront escalation with escalation,’ declared Yahya Sare’e, a spokesman for the Houthi rebels. Simultaneously, the spokesman for the rebels informed that they had fired ballistic missiles also at Dubai, including the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi, on Monday morning. Besides, Abu Dhabi’s Al Dhafra Air Base was the target. US and French troops are also stationed at the base, including the UAE military. Hence, the Houthi rebels appear to be preparing to inflict heavy damage on Abu Dhabi by firing ballistic missiles.
Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, is about 1,500 km from the military base of the Houthi rebels at Al Jawf in Yemen. Hence, it has once again surfaced that Houthi rebels have ballistic missiles with a range of 1,500 km and more in their arsenal. The Arab League has strongly condemned the attacks by Houthi rebels.
Meanwhile, due to last week’s attacks on the UAE and Saudi Arabia on Monday, the international media has been raising questions about the capabilities of the US air defence system. Both Arab states had purchased advanced air defence systems from the United States. However, it emerges that in the last few months, the system has failed to intercept Houthi ballistic missiles as well as drone strikes. Military analysts in the Middle East are pointing out that this has threatened the security of the Arab allies.
Click below to express your thoughts and views on this news:
 |
https://twitter.com/WW3Info |
 |
https://www.facebook.com/WW3Info |
