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Arab Emirates intercepted two ballistic missiles launched by Yemen's Houthis over its capital Abu Dhabi early Monday, in what the Iran-backed group warned would be part of a continuous campaign to target the Emirati capital.
At 4:15 a.m. Abu Dhabi's skyline lit up with what witnesses described as "fireballs in the sky." Some of the capital's residents woke to the sound of explosions as air defense missiles intercepted the projectiles.
The incident comes a week after a Houthi drone and missile attack near Abu Dhabi's airport killed three foreign workers and injured several others.
In a statement Monday, the UAE Ministry of Defense said, "its air defense has intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles fired by the terrorist Houthi group."
"The attack did not result in any casualties, as the remnants of the intercepted and destroyed ballistic missiles fell in separate areas around the Emirate of Abu Dhabi," the statement added.
The ministry said it is "ready to deal with any threats, and that it takes all necessary measures to protect the state from all attacks."
Several flights were delayed arriving into Abu Dhabi airport, according to the airport's website. Flight tracking website Flightradar24 showed Abu Dhabi-bound planes flying in circles near the airport.
The US embassy in Abu Dhabi also called on US citizens in the UAE to maintain a "high level of security awareness," issuing a series of instructions on how to respond to a missile attack.
Shortly after Monday's incident in Abu Dhabi, the UAE's Ministry of Defense said an F-16 fighter jet had destroyed the ballistic missile launcher used to target the UAE capital. It did not specify what country the aircraft belonged to.
Yemen's Houthis claimed they were targeting the UAE's commercial hub of Dubai as well as Abu Dhabi's Al Dhafra airbase, which hosts the United States Air Force's 380th Air Expeditionary Wing.
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