DUBAI — The United Arab Emirates on Sunday denied a claim by Yemen's Shiite rebels that a rebel missile had been fired toward the country's under-construction nuclear plant.
The rebels, known as Houthis, earlier in the day claimed they had launched a missile toward the plant in Abu Dhabi in the first such strike toward the country.
"The National Emergency and Crisis and Disasters Management Authority denies the claim that the Houthis fired a missile toward the country," the UAE's state-run WAM news agency said. "The UAE possesses an air defense system capable of dealing with any threat of any type or kind."
The statement added that the nuclear power plant was well-protected.
The National, a state-aligned newspaper in Abu Dhabi, also reported that Barakah's operations were "unaffected on Sunday, while sources on the ground confirmed there were no signs of an attack to the structure."
The UAE is a major US ally.
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 near its border with Saudi Arabia, is scheduled to come online in 2018.
The UAE, like other US Gulf allies in the region, has the Patriot Missile defense system capable of shooting down ballistic missiles and is the only international client to have on delivery the US-made Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system.
The Houthis last month had targeted the Saudi capital, Riyadh, with a ballistic missile that was intercepted by Saudi air defenses.
But for the Houthis to launch a missile from Yemen at the UAE, it would likely have to fly over Saudi Arabia's vast southeastern desert in order to reach Abu Dhabi.
Iran has been supplying missiles to Houthis. The one used to target Riyadh on Nov. 4. was also supplied by Iran.
A hard-line Iranian newspaper ran a headline saying the UAE's tourism hub of Dubai was the "next target" for Yemen's Houthi rebels.
The UAE on Sunday was celebrating its 46th National Day with a four-day-long public sector holiday. On Thursday, the country also marked Martyr's Day to commemorate the country's fallen soldiers. — AP
