Houthi–Emirati conflict
The United Arab Emirates has been a strong supporter of the Yemeni government, deploying troops alongside Saudi forces in the country. The Saudis formed an alliance of Arab states and launched a military campaign in 2015 to restore a government ousted by the Houthis. Timeline. On 3 January 2022, the Houthis fighters hijacked a UAE-flagged cargo ship off the Yemen coast and eleven crew members were detained. The 17 January 2022 attacks targeted an industrial site outside Abu Dhabi, setting fire to fuel trucks and killing three foreign workers. An area near the international airport was  also targeted. The Houthis claim to have carried out attacks on the UAE in the past, but this is the first time that UAE officials have acknowledged such attacks and the first time people have been killed in such attacks. On 21 January 2022, the UAE has responded that it reserves the right to retaliate and the Saudi-led coalition carried out an airstrike on a prison in Saada killing at least 87 people and injuring more than 266 others.