Earlier on Monday, the United Arab Emirates intercepted a ballistic missile fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels during a visit to the country by the Israeli president, the third such attack in recent weeks, authorities said.

The missile firing has further heightened tensions across the Persian Gulf, a region that has previously seen a series of attacks near – but never uncontested – Emirati territory. It happened during Yemen’s years-long war and the breakdown of Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers.

The UAE’s state-run WAM news agency reported the interception, saying “the attack did not cause any damage as the remnants of the ballistic missile fell outside the populated area.”

It is not yet clear where the missile debris fell. The country’s civil air traffic control agency said there was no immediate impact on air travel in the UAE, where Emirates and Etihad are home to long-haul airlines.

The country’s top prosecutor has threatened that those who take or publish images of such events will face criminal charges in the UAE, an authoritarian federation of seven emirates on the Arabian Peninsula. This complicates the reporting of such events by journalists.

Yehia Saare, a Houthi military spokesman, tweeted that the rebels would announce an attack “in the depths of the UAE” in the coming hours.

He did not elaborate, nor did the Houthis’ Al-Masirah satellite news channel immediately report anything.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog is on a state visit to Israel. The ceremonial leader met Abu Dhabi’s powerful Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Sunday.

It is unclear how the missile strike will affect the rest of Herzog’s trip. Israeli officials could not be immediately reached for comment.

A similar attack last week saw UAE and US troops fire interceptor missiles to quell a Houthi attack. The week before that, Houthi drones and missiles attacked a fuel depot at the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, killing three people and injuring six others.

Complete News Source : Hindustan Times