DUBAI, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- One soldier of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Armed Forces was killed while carrying out his duties in the operations of the Arab Coalition in Yemen, state news agency WAM reported on Sunday.

The General Command of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Armed Forces in Abu Dhabi announced the death of Sergeant Khalifa Hashel Al-Mesmari while in coalition's operation to back the legitimate government in Yemen.

The General Command of the UAE Armed Forces offered its condolences to the family of the martyr, praying to Almighty Allah to rest his soul in eternal peace and bestow solace on his family.

The UAE is part of a Saudi-led Arab coalition that has been fighting the Shiite Houthi rebels since March 2015 to support the internationally-recognized government led by President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

The Saudi-led coalition accuses non-Arab Gulf state Iran of arming the Houthis, who have fired scores of ballistic missiles on Saudi troops and cities since the outbreak of hostilities.

The UAE also said earlier in the its Armed Forces "Patriot" missile system intercepted on Sunday a ballistic missile launched by the Shiite Houthi militias in Mocha, Yemen.

Arab Coalition fighters, led by Saudi Arabia, also destroyed a Houthi mobile ballistic missile launching pad near Hodeidah Airport, according to a report by WAM.