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Yemen's Houthis says it has fired a missile towards Abu Dhabi nuclear plant

Sunday, December 03, 2017 - 02:04

Yemen’s Houthi group has fired a cruise missile towards a nuclear power plant in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, the group’s television service reported on its website on Sunday, without providing any evidence. Pascale Davies reports.

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WARNING: CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES The aftermath of an airstrike in the Northern Yemeni city of Saada, one of many which hit the country on Sunday (December 03) as fresh fighting with Yemen's Houthis continues for a fourth day. Dozens of people have been killed and hundreds of others are wounded, as the Houthis try to claw back lost territory. In a sign of escalating tensions the Iran-aligned group says it's fired a cruise missile towards a nuclear power plant in Abu Dhabi. But the United Arab Emirates has denied that any missiles have reached them. On Saturday (2 December), Yemen's former President Ali Abdullah Saleh tried to pave the way to end the conflict. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) FORMER YEMENI PRESIDENT ALI ABDULLAH SALEH, SAYING: "We will turn a new page with them and start dealing with them in a positive way because what happened to Yemen and to them is more than enough. We promise our brothers and neighbors that after a ceasefire is implemented, the airports opened and an end to the blockade we will start negotiating immediately as a legitimate government represented in a people's assembly" Saleh's announcement was welcomed by the Saudi-led coalition, which has struggled to achieve any progress against the Houthi-Saleh alliance Yemen now nearly into its third year of war, is caught in a proxy battle between the Iran-aligned Houthis and Saudi-backed forces loyal to President Hadi. Yemen descended into violence in late 2014 when the Houthis, marched on Sanaa and seized control of the government. The recent clashes have added a new layer to an already complex situation in Yemen. Where over 10,000 people have been killed since the war began, and more than two million people have been displaced. That's led to a cholera outbreak and put the war torn country on the brink of famine.