Yemeni rebels launch second attack on UAE within a week

The Yemen rebel group Ansar Allah (Houthis) attacked the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for a second time in a week on 24 January, although this time inflicted no casualties.

The group announced that it targeted Al-Dhafra Air Base in Abu Dhabi with an unspecified number of Zulfiqar ballistic missiles; unidentified “important sites” in Dubai with Samad-3 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs); and several unidentified sites in southern Saudi Arabia with Samad-1 and Qasef-2K UAVs, as well as short-range ballistic missiles.

The UAE's Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced that two ballistic missiles that were launched from Yemen were intercepted and destroyed, with the wreckage inflicting no casualties as it fell around Abu Dhabi city. It did not report UAV attacks.

It also released aerial targeting footage showing what it said was one of its F-16 multirole fighters destroying the launcher that fired the two missiles from Al-Hazm district in Yemen's Al-Jawf governorate at 0410 h local time.

The airstrike appeared to have been carried out just to the east of Al-Hazm town, 1,350 km from Al-Dhafra Air Base, which is defended by Patriot air-defence systems capable of intercepting ballistic missiles. The Zulfiqar is an extended-range version of the Iranian Qiam ballistic missile, each of which requires a separate mobile launcher.

The Saudi MoD also reported destroying a ballistic missile that was launched towards Khamis Mushayt, which is frequently attacked by Ansar Allah as it is the location of King Khalid Air Base and is also defended by a Patriot.