Yemen attack 10 years on: Remembering when the UAE lost some of its bravest soldiers

Missile attack was worst single loss of life in country's military history

The body of one of 52 Emirati soldiers killed in the Yemen attack arrives at Al Bateen Airport in Abu Dhabi. Wam

It was the afternoon, not long after Friday prayers, when the terrible news became public. The greatest single loss of life in the history of the UAE Armed Forces.

An explosion, triggered by a Houthi missile, had killed 52 Emirati soldiers, 10 from Saudi Arabia and five from Bahrain, all part of the coalition to support the official government of Yemen. Many soldiers from the Yemeni Armed Forces also died.

The attack took place at dawn on September 4, 2015. Rebel Houthi forces fired a OTR-21 Tochka short range ballistic missile at the coalition base in Safer, part of the central Marib Governorate under the control of the internationally recognised government of Yemen.

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The missile, originally developed by the Soviet Union in the 1980s, lacked the precision of modern weapons, but by chance struck an ammunition dump, triggering a series of massive explosions.

Heavy losses

More than 40 Emirati soldiers from the 107th Brigade died almost instantly and others from their wounds in the following days. Many others were injured, including the son of Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah.

Sheikh Saud spoke from the heart when he said Sheikh Ahmed “chose the military and he is aware of the circumstances and duties".

"He chose to defend his homeland," Sheikh Saud said.

Flags at half-mast in Abu Dhabi a decade ago after 52 Emirati soldiers were killed in Yemen. Ravindranath K / The National

“As soon as I saw him in the hospital, he was asking of his friends. He said: ‘When the country takes care of my friends, I am fine.'

"What I saw from our brothers who are injured is a model. What I saw, honestly, is a new spirit that I did not know of but read about.”

The evening of September 4 saw the UAE government announce a three-day period of official mourning as its leaders paid tribute to the fallen. The late President Sheikh Khalifa said the soldiers were defending the oppressed during the performance of sacred duty within the Arab coalition forces.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, said that the country had lost “a group of its purest men, in defence of justice and in support of our brothers in Yemen".

“Our condolences [go] to the people of the UAE and the Arab nation in those brave heroes,” Sheikh Mohammed said.

Ultimate sacrifice

President Sheikh Mohamed, who was then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, added his tribute.

“Our sons have made the ultimate sacrifice; they’re true patriots who demonstrated utmost love and loyalty to their country and nation," he said. "Our martyrs of duty are true models in our history.”

A period of mourning was declared. Ravindranath K / The National

At football matches that evening, crowds observed a period of silence, while teams and officials wore black arm bands. Then US secretary of state John Kerry was among foreign dignitaries offering sympathies.

Priority was then given to the survivors, especially those with the most serious injuries. Even as the news became public, military transport aircraft were bringing them home to the Mafraq and Zayed Military Hospitals in Abu Dhabi, where visitors included members of the UAE’s ruling families.

Two days later the bodies of 48 of the fallen returned home. Crowds lined the streets in Yemen as they passed by, while an honour guard from all branches of the UAE Armed Forces received them at Al Bateen Airport in Abu Dhabi.

Among those who died were Lt Al Yammahi, awarded the sword of honour in the 38th batch of graduates from Zayed Military School, and Ali Hassan Al Shehi, a former Emirates Football Club player.

Funerals took place across the Emirates. In Ras Al Khaimah, Sheikh Saud performed funeral prayers for six of the fallen at the city’s Sheikh Zayed Mosque.

In the following days, relatives of those who died were visited by members of the ruling families to offer support and condolences. Sheikh Mohamed travelled to Al Ain, Sharjah and Dubai, while Sheikh Mohammed paid his respects in Dubai and Sharjah.

In Yemen, the UAE’s response was immediate. Within hours, UAE Air Force fighter jets were striking Houthi targets, including strongholds in Al Bayda and weapons caches in Mukeiras and Marib.

Ten years later, those who paid the ultimate price of patriotism are still remembered by their families and friends, especially on Martyrs Day, first commemorated in November 2015.

The names of all those who have fallen in the defence of the UAE are inscribed at the Wahat Al Karama monument in Abu Dhabi, which was unveiled in 2016.