ABU DHABI, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- The United Arab Emirates affirmed its right of self-defense against all threats targeting the Arab coalition forces in Yemen, asserted the UAE's foreign ministry in a statement on Thursday.

"The recent aggravation in offensives against the Arab coalition forces and civilians poses a menacing threat to the security of the coalition. This in turn has necessitated air strikes against terrorist militias as per the international humanitarian law," said the statement released in response to a statement by the Yemeni foreign ministry.

The military operation was based on "confirmed field intelligence" that the militias prepared to target the coalition forces, a development which required "preemptive operation to avert any military threat," the UAE foreign ministry statement added.

Yemen's internationally-recognized government has accused the UAE of launching air raid that killed dozens of people in the country's south amid intense fighting for the control of the key port city of Aden and its surrounding areas.