A Pakistani and two Indian nationals have died after a suspected drone attack caused an explosion in three oil tankers in Abu Dhabi and another fire erupted in an extension of the Abu Dhabi International airport on Monday.
The Abu Dhabi police confirmed that the three people had died and six others were injured who suffered minor injuries in the attack. As per preliminary investigation, small objects that possible belonged to drones were found in two different areas, i.e., the airport and a tanker storage facility in Mussafah. The police reportedly said that the fire at the airport was “minor”. The second blast targeted three oil tankers at an Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. storage facility, from where petroleum transportation trucks reportedly carry fuel nationwide.
As per media reports, Pakistan’s foreign ministry also confirmed late on Monday that a Pakistani citizen had demised in the incident.
Although the Abu Dhabi police had not immediately identified the perpetrators of the attack, Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed an attack in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Monday. The Iranian backed group’s military spokesman Yahia Sarei had said the Houthis had launched an attack in the UAE, without elaborating on the details. Sarei revealed that a statement would follow later.
It would be noteworthy here that the oil tanker facility that was attacked was about 1,800kms from the Houthis’ hotbed in Yemen.
In response to the attack, the Emirati foreign ministry said in a statement that the UAE had the right to respond to the affront, which would not “go unpunished”. The statement read that the UAE would respond to the “terrorist attacks and criminal escalation”.
The UAE has been a key player in the war in Yemen and has been a part of the Saudi-led coalition that spearheaded attacks against the Houthi’s after the rebel group took over the capital of Yemen, putting the internationally backed government of Yemeni president Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi out of power in 2015.
According to several media reports, the UAE in recent weeks has reduced the number of troops in Yemen but has continued to support the US anti-terrorism operations in the country as well as well as being involved in the war to counter the Houthi group.
