Yemen's Houthi rebels claim firing cruise missile at Abu Dhabi nuclear reactor

Yemen's Houthi rebel group claims that it has fired a cruise missile at a nuclear reactor located in Abu Dhabi, the capital of UAE. However, there has not been any independent confirmation of such attack.

The Iran-aligned group said it fired a missile at the al-Barakah nuclear reactor on Sunday, 3 December because of UAE's participation in the Saudi Arabia-led military campaign in Yemen.

The group has not offered any evidence to substantiate its claims but released a statement via a Houthi-run website.

"The missile force announces the launching of a winged cruise missile ... towards the al-Barakah nuclear reactor in Abu Dhabi," read the statement.

In the past, Houthis have made it clear Abu Dhabi will be a potential target for missile attacks since its support for the longstanding anti-Houthi military offensive taking place in strife-torn Yemen.

The al-Barakah nuclear power plant, being developed by the South Korean state-run company Kepco, is still not operational and is expected to be fully functional only by 2018.

This is not the first time Houthis have said that they have fired a missile at the UAE. Earlier, they had also claimed to have test-launched a missile towards Abu Dhabi.

The latest claim comes shortly after the Riyadh-led coalition carried out five air strikes in Yemen pounding Houthis' positions.