UAE says it intercepts 2 ballistic missiles fired by Houthis

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Monday said that it intercepted two ballistic missiles fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels towards its territory.

In a statement on Monday, the UAE Defense Ministry said that its air defense managed to intercept and destroy the two ballistic missiles.

The ministry went on to affirm its "readiness" to deal with any future attacks from the Iran-backed militias.

The attack was the second on UAE soil since last week's strike that hit a fuel depot in the capital Abu Dhabi, killing three people, and causing a fire near its international airport.

On late Sunday, the Saudi-led coalition said in a statement that two foreigners were injured after a ballistic missile fired by the Houthi rebels fell in Saudi Arabia’s south.

Yemen has been engulfed by violence and instability since 2014, when Iran-aligned Houthi rebels captured much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.

A Saudi-led coalition aimed at reinstating the Yemeni government has worsened the situation.

Yemen is now home to one of the world’s worst man-made humanitarian crises, with nearly 80% of Yemenis, or about 30 million people, needing humanitarian assistance and protection. Over 13 million are in danger of starvation, according to UN estimates.

*Writing by Ali Abo Rezeg