Saudi Arabia, UAE vow to back Yemen war effort amid cracks

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates pledged Monday to keep their floundering coalition war against Yemen’s Houthi rebels together after an Emirati troop pullout and the rise of the southern separatists they supported.

The joint communique came as the Houthis launched at least six ballistic missiles and two drone attacks into Saudi Arabia, keeping up its pressure on the kingdom.

The statement, carried by both the Emirati and Saudi state news agencies, said both nations’ “political, military, relief and development efforts” would continue.

It also said the countries both rejected and condemned the “accusations and defamation campaigns targeting the UAE” since its decision in June to begin withdrawing troops.

The UAE, an autocratic federation of seven sheikhdoms home to Dubai, has not publicly acknowledged how many troops it withdrew from Yemen. Yemeni officials have suggested Emirati troop strength has dropped by as much as 75% out of around 10,000 troops.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia said it intercepted six ballistic missiles and two drones launched by the Houthis into the kingdom. The Houthis earlier said they launched 10 missiles.