U.A.E. intercepted two ballistic missiles over Abu Dhabi; previous attack by Yemeni group killed three people and injured six others
DUBAI - The United Arab Emirates said it intercepted two ballistic missiles targeting its capital Abu Dhabi, threatening the country's reputation as a safe hub for international businesses in the Middle East and Yemen's years of war. The attack is the latest by Houthi rebels to widen the civil war.
The United Arab Emirates said early Monday that there were no casualties in the Houthi attack, but fragments of missiles were scattered over Abu Dhabi. Videos posted on social media before dawn on Monday showed bright lights in the sky over the city and residents heard explosions.
The Iran-aligned Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack after last week's attack on the United Arab Emirates. In which three people died and six others were injured. He also claimed to have targeted the Emirati city of Dubai, but there was no immediate indication of an attack or confirmation from authorities here. A Houthi spokesman warned businesses on Twitter to leave the United Arab Emirates. Because he had become insecure.
The Houthi attacks aim to increase costs for the United Arab Emirates. After stepping up its efforts in support of the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Iran-aligned group in Yemen. Earlier this month, Emirati-backed militias suffered an unexpected defeat for the Houthis in Yemen's oil-rich province of Shabwa. Saudi-led forces have carried out a series of airstrikes on Houthi-controlled territory in northern Yemen in recent days, including hitting a temporary detention center, Doctors Without Borders said, killing at least 87 people.
The Houthi attacks were intended to punish the United Arab Emirates. According to Houthi deputy foreign minister Hussein al-Azi, it took more than two years to renew attacks on Yemen to withdraw from the war. "The attack on Abu Dhabi falls within our right to defend itself," Mr Izzy said in an interview.
Recent attacks on U.A.E. The blow to its reputation as a safe trade and tourism hub, officials and analysts said. But they are unlikely to affect how companies operate here in the short term, given that they already assess risk in a sector that has long been seen as volatile, he said.
"Your regional tensions are running pretty nonstop," said David Butters, Middle East politics and economics analyst at Chatham House in London. "Through most of it they have thrived."
Mr Butters noted that the use of ballistic missiles has increased risks for the UAE, but the country has so far managed to attract investment and foreigners to keep its economy alive despite decades of turmoil. help to run.
International companies have continued with planned projects in the UAE, with an agreement signed last week by the Abu Dhabi government and Siemens AG and France's Total Energies SE to build a green hydrogen plant for aviation fuel .
The general index of the Dubai stock market was down about 2% on Monday afternoon, while its counterpart in Abu Dhabi was flat. Bankers said stock indices around the world have fallen over the past week, making it difficult to gauge any impact of the Houthi attacks.
Saudi Arabia, which is leading a coalition fighting the Houthis, has been attacked hundreds of times since the Saudis entered the war on behalf of the country's internationally recognized government against the Houthis in 2015. Saudi state media reported on Sunday that two residents suffered minor injuries after the Houthis fired a ballistic missile after a ballistic missile fell near the Yemeni border in an industrial area of Jizan, a city in the south of the country.
But in recent years Yemeni rebels have expanded their border, adding to the United Arab Emirates. as a target.
The change potentially puts the millions of migrant workers who call the UAE at risk. House. About 90% of the country's approximately 10 million residents are foreigners, many of whom are employed by international banks, professional services firms and technology companies.
In an effort to assuage any fears at home following Monday's attack, the UAE's Defense Ministry said in a statement to state news agency WAM that the country is prepared to deal with threats and do all necessary measures to protect itself. takes measures. Emirati warplanes destroyed missile launchers fired in Abu Dhabi on Monday, the ministry tweeted.
The Houthis last week said they had targeted the United Arab Emirates. With ballistic and cruise missiles and drones.
Last week a Western security official said a ballistic missile headed for Dubai was intercepted on the day of the first Abu Dhabi attack, confirming the Houthis' claim that they targeted the city. United Arab Emirates. Officials have not commented on the Dubai attack.