UAE condemns Houthi missile attack on Saudi Arabia

Dubai   :   The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Monday strongly condemned the "Iranian-made missile attacks" on Saudi Arabia carried out by the Houthi militias.

The Houthi missile attack was aimed at "terrorising civilians and damaging infrastructure in the kingdom through attacks," the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said in a statement.

It said these repeated attacks by the Houthi militias confirm "the need to stand firm against these hostile acts and call on the international community to do its duty to stop and prevent these acts in order to ensure the stability of the region".

The statement reiterated the position of the UAE on the side of the "brothers" in the kingdom, stressing that the security of Saudi Arabia was an integral part of national security and security of the region.

Yemeni Houthi rebels fired several long-range ballistic missiles into Saudi territory on Sunday midnight, said a statement posted on the Houthi-controlled Saba news agency.

Saudi forces said they shot down seven missiles launched from Yemen. According to Turki al-Malki, the spokesperson for the Saudi Arabia-led Arab coalition, three of the missiles were fired at Riyadh and one Egyptian civilian was killed when fragments landed in a suburb. 

Al-Malki blamed Iran for the attack in which two other Egyptians were also injured. One missile was fired towards Khamis Mushait in the province of Asir, another towards Najran and the other two at Jizan.

Several loud explosions were heard in Riyadh. The attack was not the first time that Houthis fired missiles towards Riyadh.

The UAE is part of a Saudi-led military coalition which has been fighting the Shia Houthi rebels in Yemen since March 2015.