UAE intercepts, destroys three hostile drones over its airspace
- Last updated: February 3, 2022 | 10:30
Gulf Today Report
The United Arab Emirates intercepted several drones fired at the country Wednesday, the UAE military said, the fourth such attack on the federation in recent weeks.
On Twitter, the Emirati defence ministry said it was "ready to deal with any threats" and was taking "all necessary measures" to protect the state and its territory.
In a short statement just before midnight Wednesday on Twitter, the Emirati Defence Ministry said it had destroyed three "hostile drones” that targeted the UAE at dawn. It said the interception occurred "away from populated areas,” without elaborating.
The drones were neutralised away from populated areas.
The Ministry of Defence confirmed it is ready to deal with any threats and is taking all necessary measures to protect the state and its territory.
Enhanced UAE-US Defence Cooperation
During a call between Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, the two leaders discussed enhanced bilateral measures to counter Houthi terrorist acts against civilian infrastructure around Abu Dhabi International Airport and Al Dhafra Air Base, which houses thousands of US military personnel.
Remarking on the pledge by the two leaders to deepen defense cooperation to counter Houthi aggression and protect residents of the UAE, including 65,000 US citizens, Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba said, “US naval and air deployments to the UAE are a welcome and valued signal of common purpose against Houthi and other threats. Close UAE-US cooperation in air defence has been critical to protecting the UAE and UAE-based US personnel against recent Houthi-launched missile and drone attacks. For more than 25 years, the UAE-US security partnership has made both countries safer.”
Ambassador Al Otaiba reiterated the UAE’s call for the US government to re-designate the Houthis a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) under US law.
Writing recently in the Wall Street Journal, he and UAE Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh said that the “Houthis have essentially designated themselves as terrorists” and that US designation as an FTO would “help choke off their financial and arms supplies without restricting humanitarian relief for the Yemeni people.”
A growing number of US leaders have condemned the recent Houthi attacks on the UAE.
