ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The United Arab Emirates intercepted and destroyed three drones that entered its airspace over unpopulated areas on Wednesday, according to the defense ministry. The statement by the ministry added that it was “ready to deal with any threats and is taking all necessary measures” to protect its territory from future attacks.
The attack on Wednesday was the latest in a series of aerial assaults which have targeted the Gulf state. The last three attacks have been all claimed by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, but they did not make any comments regarding Wednesday’s attack.
Several hours prior to the statement by the UAE defense ministry, little-known group calling itself the “True Promise Brigades” (Alwiyat al-Waad al-Haq) claimed it had targeted Emirati infrastructure with four drones. The Iraqi militia group is believed to be a shadow group affiliated to Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah. The group emerged in January 2021 when it claimed to have targeted Saudi Arabia, but has been silent since.
1. #Breaking: An Iraqi facade group assessed by the Militia Spotlight to be affiliated with Kataib Hezbollah claimed to have launched a drone attack on Abu Dhabi this morning. In a statement Alwiyat al-Waad al-Haq claims that 4 drones hit critical infrastructure in the Emirate. pic.twitter.com/xuKtR0WgnK
— Hamdi Malik, Ph.D. (@HamdiAMalik) February 2, 2022
Iran-backed Iraqi militia groups have expressed their support on social media for the Houthi attacks targeting the UAE. They accuse the Gulf countries of interfering in Iraqi politics, supporting the Sunni Iraqi parties.
The UAE is part of the Saudi-led coalition that launched an air and military campaign against Houthi rebels in 2015 following the start of the civil war between the Saudi-backed Yemen government and the Houthis.
