UK stands with UAE after fatal Houthi attack: Foreign secretary

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said on Friday that the UK stands “with our Emirati friends” following a deadly attack by Yemen’s Houthi militia last week.

Speaking during a phone call with her UAE counterpart, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Truss strongly condemned the attack that killed three people and wounded seven others.

The Iran-backed Houthis launched a number of ballistic missiles and explosive-laden drones toward Abu Dhabi on Jan. 17 targeting fuel facilities of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and the airport. The militia renewed its attack on the capital on Monday and launched two ballistic missiles that were intercepted by the UAE with US support.

Truss said she and Sheikh Abdullah agreed that Houthi attacks must stop, a diplomatic solution was needed, and to continue to work closely on regional stability.

🇬🇧🇦🇪 We stand with our Emirati friends after the deadly Houthi attacks on Abu Dhabi

Today I spoke to @ABZayed & agreed:

👉 Houthi attacks must stop & we need a diplomatic solution

👉 We continue to work closely on regional stability

👉 Strengthening security & economic ties pic.twitter.com/413T55piOV

— Liz Truss (@trussliz) January 28, 2022

They “also stressed that these terrorist attacks undermine efforts to achieve security and stability in the region,” Emirates news agency WAM reported.

Truss offered her condolences to the UAE for the victims of the attack and wished the injured a speedy recovery.

The two sides also discussed the solid strategic and historical relations between them and their joint efforts to consolidate security and stability in the region, WAM said.