UAE intercepts and destroys three hostile drones

Interception took place away from populated areas, Ministry of Defence says

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Three hostile drones that penetrated UAE airspace were shot down on Wednesday, the Ministry of Defence said.

The interception was “away from populated areas” and happened at dawn, officials said late on Wednesday night.

The MoD reiterated its “full readiness to deal with any threats”. It added that it will “take all necessary measures to protect the UAE from any attacks".

The attempted attack came on the same day the US said it would send fighter jets and a warship to the Emirates following the recent Houthi attacks.

Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin said fifth generation aircraft and the USS Cole would help to tackle the threat from the Iran-backed Yemeni rebels.

Mr Austin said the USS Cole would link up with the UAE Navy at sea before docking in Abu Dhabi.

An attack on January 17 killed three oil company workers — Hardeep Singh, Hardev Singh and Mamoor Khan — and injured six others.

Missiles fired at the UAE by the Houthis on January 24 and January 31 were intercepted and did not lead to any casualties or damage.

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Updated: February 03, 2022, 6:32 AM