Interceptions came as US announced it was sending powerful warship and state-of-the art fighter jets to help defend Emirati allies DUBAI: The UAE’s defense ministry said it had intercepted and destroyed three hostile drones that penetrated the country"s airspace at dawn on Wednesday. The ministry said it is ready to deal with any threats to the country. It added that it is taking all necessary measures to protect the UAE and its territory. The interceptions came on the same day as the US announcing it was sending a powerful warship and state-of-the art fighter jets to help defend the UAE after a series of missile attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen. The deployment, to “assist the UAE against the current threat,” follows a phone call between Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi said. Three expatriate workers, two from India and one from Pakistan, were killed in a Houthi drone and missile attack on Abu Dhabi’s oil storage facilities and airport on Jan. 17. And on Jan. 24, US forces stationed at Al-Dhafra air base in Abu Dhabi fired Patriot interceptors and scrambled to bunkers as two ballistic missiles were shot down over the city.