UAE denies Houthis claim Dubai airport struck by drone

Yemen’s Houthi movement said yesterday it had attacked Dubai International Airport in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with a Samad-3 drone, the Houthi-run Al-Masirah website reported.

The official Houthi Telegram group channel notified followers of an attack on the airport, adding that “a blow” was achieved by interrupting the airport for some time.

“Air strike on Dubai International Airport confirms that all areas of the UAE are in the range of strikes,” Houthi sources notified followers. Warning foreign investors to “stay away” from the UAE, as part of a broader strategy to drain the Saudi-led coalition’s economy.

The group then began sharing screen grabs of the disruption caused to departure flights at Dubai airport.

But the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority “has denied Houthi media claims on the Dubai International Airport, affirming that the UAE air traffic operates business as usual,” the authority said in a statement carried by state news agency WAM.

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Dubai airport is some 1,200 kilometres away from Yemen and is the third busiest in the world, according to the Airports Council International. Some 88 million passengers passed through Dubai terminals in 2017.

Late last month, the Houthis claimed an attack on Abu Dhabi airport with a drone, though no evidence was ever seen of the damage.

The UAE has been part of a Saudi-led coalition in Yemen since March 2015, aimed at rolling back Houthi territorial gains. The Houthis had taken control of the capital Sanaa and large swathes of the country forcing the international backed government into exile in Saudi Arabia.