UAE Says It Intercepted Ballistic Missile Fired By Rebels Amid Israeli President’s First Visit

Authorities for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said it intercepted a ballistic missile fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Monday while Israeli president Isaac Herzog visited, the Associated Press reported.

“The attack did not result in any losses, as the remnants of the ballistic missile fell outside the populated areas,” the UAE’s state-run WAM news agency said Monday, the AP reported.

The incident is the latest in a string of attacks in the region, with UAE authorities intercepting two ballistic missiles over Abu Dhabi, the UAE’s capital, on Jan. 24. Hundreds in Yemen were wounded or killed by Saudi-led airstrikes on Jan. 21.

Herzog was in the country for the first official visit by an Israeli head of state to the UAE, the AP reported. Though the position is somewhat ceremonial in Israel, Herzog held extensive talks with Abu Dhabi’s powerful Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Sunday.

The rebels targeted “sensitive sites” in Abu Dhabi and Dubai with both Zulfiqar ballistic missiles and drones, Houthi military spokesman Yehia Sarei said Monday, without offering evidence, the AP reported.

“The Emirates will remain an adversary as long as the actions of the Israeli enemy continue in Abu Dhabi and Dubai,” he said, the AP reported.

It was not immediately made clear where the remnants of the missile fell, and the civilian air traffic control agency said there would be no effect on travel, the AP reported. The UAE’s top prosecutor has reportedly warned that people who film or post images of such incidents may face criminal charges.