UAE POOH-POOHS HOUTHI MISSILE LAUNCH CLAIMS

Says country’s defence system capable of averting any threats

abu dhabi — The UAE on Sunday denied a claim by Yemen’s Houthi rebels that they fired a missile towards its airspace. The denial came as heavy fighting in Yemen’s capital unravelled a rebel alliance that has been at war with a Saudi-led coalition, including the UAE.

In a statement, the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) emphasised that the UAE’s air defence system is capable of dealing with any threats.

The authority noted that the under-construction Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, which the Houthis claimed to have targeted, has all necessary safety and security measures in place to avert crises.

The NCEMA reassured the UAE’s citizens and residents that the nation is safe and stressed that the country will always maintain its safety and security, continuing in its beliefs of peace and justice.

The authority advised the general public not to pay attention to such rumours disseminated by agencies issuing false news that question the UAE’s capabilities, strength and security.

The Yemeni rebels have been clashing in the capital, Sanaa, for five consecutive days with supporters of Yemen’s former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, an ally-turned adversary.

The Saudi-led coalition launched air strikes on Sanaa overnight on Sunday, local media said, lending support to loyalists of Saleh after he signalled a strategy shift that could pave the way to end the war.

In a speech on Saturday, Saleh appeared to indicate the end of his loyalists’ alliance with Iran-backed Houthi fighters, saying he was ready to turn a “new page” in ties with the Saudi-led coalition. —

The Sanaa uprising needs support. The war is to protect the Arabian Peninsula from Iranian expansion and its Houthi gangs. The Sanaa uprising confirms that the Iranian Houthi militia has been rejected by Yemen, whose natural place is in the Arab environment. Dr Anwar Mohammad Gargash, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs