UAE intercepts, destroys two ballistic missiles launched by Yemen's Houthi militia

The UAE has intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by Yemen's Houthi militia, the country's ministry of defense said Jan. 24, nearly a week after the group's attack on a fuel depot in Abu Dhabi killed three people.

Fragments from the missiles fell in various places in Abu Dhabi, without leaving any casualties, the ministry said in a statement carried by state-run WAM news agency.

The ministry affirmed its "full readiness to deal with any threats," adding it will "take all necessary measures to protect the UAE from any attacks," according to the statement.

Houthi spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Sare'e said on Twitter the militia targeted several sensitive sites in Abu Dhabi with a number of ballistic missiles and other important sites in Dubai with armed drones.

Sare'e urged foreign companies and investors to leave the UAE and threatened to further escalate attacks in the Gulf state.

The UAE, OPEC's third biggest oil producer, said it may respond to Houthi "terrorist attacks" in Abu Dhabi Jan. 17 that led three petroleum trucks transporting fuel to go up in flames in a deadly escalation of the Saudi-Iran proxy war in the region.

Steady oil supply

The Jan. 17 attack occurred at site of storage tanks owned by Abu Dhabi National Oil Co., the UAE's biggest energy producer which pumps most of the country's crude and gas and is undertaking various projects to boost it oil production capacity to 5 million b/d by 2030, from 4 million b/d currently.

ADNOC said Jan. 18 it is taking action to ensure uninterrupted product supply after Yemen's Houthi militia attacked its fuel depot in Abu Dhabi.

The Jan. 17 strikes were carried out by five winged and ballistic missiles and several drones on the Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports, an oil refinery and other "important and sensitive Emirati sites and facilities," Houthi spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Sare'e said in a Jan. 17 statement, warning foreign companies, citizens, and residents to stay away from vital installations.

The attacks were in retaliation to UAE's interference in the Yemeni civil war, he said.

The UAE pumped 2.87 million b/d of crude oil in December 2021, according to the latest S&P Global Platts survey of OPEC+ group's output.