US condemns Houthi missile attack on Abu Dhabi

ANKARA

US on Monday condemned the Iranian-backed Yemen-based Houthis’ missile attack on Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

“We condemn the latest Houthi missile attack on Abu Dhabi,” State Department Spokesman Ned Price said on Twitter.

“While Israel’s president is visiting the UAE to build bridges and promote stability across the region, the Houthis continue to launch attacks that threaten civilians,” Price wrote.

The UAE’s “air defense intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the Houthi terrorist group towards the country," the Defense Ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

No damage was caused by the attack, the ministry said.

It added that debris fell in an unpopulated area and there were no casualties.

The attack came on the same night that Israeli President Isaac Herzog met with Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on his first official visit to the UAE as the country's head of state.

Herzog will not interrupt his visit, presidential spokesperson Eylon Levy told Anadolu Agency, adding "the visit is expected to continue as planned."

Yemen has been engulfed by violence and instability since 2014, when Iran-aligned Houthi rebels captured much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.

A Saudi-led coalition aimed at reinstating the Yemeni government has worsened the humanitarian situation.