ISLAMABAD: Pakistan strongly condemned the launching of a missile by Yemeni Houthis towards the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Monday in a latest provocation when the Gulf country was hosting Israeli President Isaac Herzog on his first visit to the country.

“Pakistan strongly condemns the launching of missile from Al-Jawf, Yemen, by the Houthis towards the UAE. It is commendable that the missile was successfully intercepted by the air defence system of the UAE, preventing loss of innocent lives,” Foreign Office said in a statement.

“We consider these attacks as a grave violation of international law and a serious threat to regional peace and security. Pakistan calls for their immediate cessation. Pakistan reaffirms its solidarity with the brotherly people and government of the United Arab Emirates,” the statement added.

Earlier, the UAE’s Ministry of Defence stated in a Twitter statement that it has intercepted ballistic missile launched from Al-Jawf, Yemen towards UAE and also shared the video claiming to have destructed the launch site of the missile.

“UAE MOD [Ministry of Defence] Joint Operations Command announces at 00:50 UAE time the destruction of platform for ballistic missile launched from Al-Jawf, Yemen towards UAE. Missile was intercepted at 00:20 by air defences,” the UAE Ministry of Defence statement in a tweet.

It is said to be the third such attack on the UAE by the Yemeni Houthis in the last two weeks.

However, the latest missile attack comes at a time when Israeli President Herzog was visiting the country as the first ever Israeli head of state to officially visit the Gulf country.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022