Yemen’s Houthi group says fires missile toward Abu Dhabi nuclear reactor

The claim comes as the United Arab Emirates, which is part of the Saudi-led coalition, celebrates its National Day.

In this November 5, 2017 file photo, A still image taken from a video distributed by Yemen's pro-Houthi Al Masirah television station on November 5, 2017, shows what it says was the launch by Houthi forces of a ballistic missile aimed at Riyadh's King Khaled Airport.

Yemen’s Shia rebels have claimed that they launched a missile toward an under-construction nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates. Emirati officials had no immediate comment.

The $ 20 billion Barakah nuclear power plant is in Abu Dhabi’s far western desert. The first of its four reactors, being built in the UAE’s near its border with Saudi Arabia, is scheduled to come online in 2018.

Today’s claim comes amid heavy fighting in Yemen’s capital, Sana'a, between the Shia rebels known as Houthis and some of their former allies led by Yemen’s former president, Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Saudi-led coalition airstrikes have targeted the Houthis in that fighting.

The claim comes as the United Arab Emirates, which is part of the Saudi-led coalition, celebrates its National Day.