Today, Tuesday, the Ansar Allah Houthi group hinted at the possibility of targeting the "Expo 2020 Dubai" exhibition hosted by the Emirate of Dubai, a day after the group bombed sensitive sites in the UAE and other sites in Saudi Arabia.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree posted a brief tweet on Twitter, in which he said, "Expo...with us, you may lose. We recommend changing the destination," without giving further details.

Yesterday, Monday, the Houthi group launched a new attack on the UAE for the second time in a few days, and the Yemeni group targeted the UAE capital Abu Dhabi with ballistic missiles;

It announced the targeting of Al Dhafra Air Base in Abu Dhabi and other sites.


Alliance response

Today, the Saudi Cabinet condemned what it described as the terrorist Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and shipping lanes.

For its part, the Saudi-Emirati coalition said that it had carried out 53 targeting operations against the Houthis in the Yemeni governorates of Marib and Al-Bayda.

In a statement, the coalition stated that the targeting resulted in the killing of more than 240 Houthi militants and the destruction of 34 military vehicles.

The coalition had announced earlier the start of an operation against what it described as legitimate targets in Sanaa, in light of the recent Houthi attacks on the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

The coalition said the operation came in response to the threat and the military necessity to protect civilians from hostile attacks.


Meanwhile, local Yemeni sources said that the coalition launched 4 raids on Arhab and Sanhan districts, north and south of Sanaa.

For its part, Houthi media said that the coalition launched about 40 air strikes on the governorates of Shabwa, Marib, Taiz and Al-Jawf during the past hours, without providing details about the losses and damages that resulted from those raids.

Advance in Marib

In a related context, forces loyal to the Yemeni government announced today, Tuesday, the restoration of control of the Harib district in the oil-rich Ma'rib governorate from the Houthis, who are waging a fierce campaign to control the center of the strategic region, the last stronghold of power in the north.

Tribal fighters loyal to the government confront the Houthis in Marib (Reuters)

The forces of the "Giant Brigades" backed by the UAE, a member of the Saudi-led military coalition, said in a statement - "Thank God, on Monday, January 24, the center of the Harib district overlapping with the district of Ain" was liberated in the neighboring Shabwa governorate.

She added that regaining control of the district allows "securing the Ain district in particular and Shabwa governorate in general," thanking the coalition "for supporting our operations in Shabwa, which were crowned with complete success."

American contacts

After targeting sites in the UAE capital with missiles yesterday, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley had a telephone conversation with the Chief of Staff of the UAE Armed Forces, Lieutenant-General Hamad Al Rumaithi.

A statement by the US Department of Defense stated that Milley and Al-Rumaithi discussed the Houthi attacks on the UAE and the security conditions in the Middle East.

This comes after a statement by the US Central Command said on Monday that US forces at Al Dhafra Air Base near Abu Dhabi intercepted two missiles using Patriot missiles.


The statement added that the interception process, which took place in conjunction with the efforts of the UAE forces, took place in the early hours of Monday morning.

The US command also indicated that it raised the state of alert at the base during the attack, and that its forces took shelter in shelters.

The statement stressed that the US forces in Al Dhafra are vigilant and ready to respond in the event of any further attacks.

It also revealed the presence of about two thousand American soldiers and employees at the Al Dhafra base.

international condemnation

In another context, the United Nations envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, and the United Nations humanitarian coordinator in Yemen, David Grisley, condemned the air strikes launched by the coalition on a prison in Saada, northern Yemen, a few days ago, which killed at least 91 detainees and wounded 226.

The two UN officials said in a joint statement that this attack was "the worst incident in terms of civilian casualties in Yemen in 3 years."

They added that the latest escalation is exacerbating an already acute humanitarian crisis, complicating relief efforts, threatening regional security, and undermining efforts to end the conflict.

The statement called on the parties to abide by international humanitarian law, and said that the United Nations is in contact with all parties to achieve de-escalation and start a comprehensive dialogue to reach a political solution.

He urged all parties to interact with these efforts immediately and without preconditions.

He also called on the parties to give priority to the needs and interests of the Yemeni people.

The two officials expressed concern about the escalating cycle of violence in Yemen, which continued to harm civilians and extended beyond the country's borders.

The joint statement indicated that "the month of January will certainly break records with regard to the number of civilian casualties in Yemen," as he put it.