UAE denies report of Houthi drone attack on Dubai airport
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) denied reports on August 27 that the Iranian-aligned Houthis in Yemen had attacked Dubai airport with a drone, and said operations were unaffected.
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 by state news agency WAM.
Dubai airport operating 'business as usual,' says UAE, after Houthis claimed to have disrupted air traffic at world's third busiest flight hub.
Dubai’s airport is the third busiest in the world, according to Airports Council International, which said that 88 million passengers passed through its terminals in 2017.
The Iran-backed rebels claimed Monday that a "Sammad-3 (invincible) drone" had hit the world’s third busiest airport, successfully disrupting air traffic "for some time”.
Houthi-run media said earlier that a drone had targeted the facility at Dubai airport, but did not provide any evidence and there were no reports of damage or casualties.
The UAE is part of a Saudi Arabia-led coalition that has been fighting to oust the Houthi rebels and reinstate Yemen’s recognised government since 2015.
The Gulf alliance launched a bombing campaign and ground invasion three years ago, fearing Iranian expansionism on their doorstep after the Houthis swept control of most of the country.
