The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Monday intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile in the third such incident this month, the country's Defense Ministry announced. The attack came as Israeli President Isaac Herzog visited the country. "There were no casualties resulting from the attack and the fragments of the ballistic missile fell outside of populated areas," the UAE Ministry of Defense said in a statement carried by the official WAM news agency. It added, "The UAE air defense forces and the Coalition Command had succeeded in destroying the missile launcher in Yemen after identifying locations of the sites." 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 supplied by the UAE's official sources. The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen launched a series of attacks on the UAE this month. The Houthis launched a drone attack on January 17, killing three foreign workers in the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi. The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis responded with air strikes on the Yemeni capital. The Houthis launched missiles again on January 24, but the UAE intercepted those with support from the United States. After that attack, a Houthi spokesperson warned the group would "expand their operations over the next phase," and warned foreign companies to leave the UAE. Monday's attack took place during Israeli President Isaac Herzog's ongoing visit to the UAE. The President and his entourage were in no danger, and the visit is expected to continue as planned, an Israeli presidential spokesman said. On Sunday, Herzog met with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan in Abu Dhabi, and condemned terrorist attacks targeting the UAE, according to the UAE's state news agency WAM. Later on Monday, Herzog is due to visit the Dubai Expo before returning to Israel. Meanwhile, the UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) affirmed that the air traffic movement is normal and all flights are operating as usual. In a statement on Monday, the GCAA affirmed that 'there is no impact on flights and airports resulting from the interception of the ballistic missile launched by the Houthi terrorist militia on the country.'' The GCAA also called on the public to refer to official sources for all information and udpates. — Agencies
