ABU DHABI, UAE: Following a series of attacks by Yemen’s Iranian-aligned Houthi militias, U.S. F-22 fighter jets arrived at an air base in the UAE on February 12, the U.S. Air Force reported.

The largely failed Houthi attacks made in recent weeks on Emirati targets have triggered Emirati and U.S. air defenses and forced American troops based in the country to take shelter.

The statement added that the arrival of the jets is part of the overall support of the U.S. for the UAE, after a series of January attacks threatened U.S. and Emirati armed forces.

A statement by the United States Air Forces Central Command said the U.S. Secretary of Defense ordered the rapid deployment of the fifth-generation aircraft, in coordination with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The U.S. Air Force said the airmen and F-22s are deployed from the 1st Fighter Wing, located at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia.

The U.S. general in charge of Middle East operations told Reuters last week that the U.S. will provide interceptors to the UAE to help counter incoming missiles.

The recent Houthi attacks have highlighted the unsuccessful UN-led efforts to help end the war in Yemen, which, since 2015, has seen the Houthis in conflict with a Saudi Arabian-led military coalition, which includes the UAE.

The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people and created a humanitarian crisis.