A fire broke out and three fuel trucks exploded near Abu Dhabi airport on Monday, January 17, in what Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi militia said was an attack deep within the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
A UAE state-run news agency reported that three people died in the explosions – two Indians and one Pakistani.
An explosion caused by drones may have been responsible for an oil tanker explosion in Abu Dhabi, the Capital city, and a small fire at an airport extension caused by drones, according to reports from the Abu Dhabi police.
In a later statement, Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the attack.
A fire was also reported at a construction site at Abu Dhabi International Airport, but it was described as “minor” and it occurred at an extension of the main airport that is still under construction.
The initial investigation indicated that small flying objects, possibly drones, fell in two areas and may have been responsible for the fire and explosion, reported British news outlet, Sky news.
However, no significant damage was reported as a result of these incidents.
Yahia Sarei, a spokesman for the Houthis, said on Twitter that details about the attack against the UAE will be announced “soon.”
Since early 2015, the UAE has been at war with the Houthi rebels in Yemen. The Saudi-led coalition launched airstrikes against the rebels after they overran Yemen’s capital city and ousted the international-backed government.
The Houthis have previously claimed to have attacked the Abu Dhabi airport, as well as the Emirate’s Barakah nuclear power plant – both of which have been denied as attacks by Emirati officials.
Besides using drones to carry bombs for crude and imprecise attacks on Saudi Arabia and the UAE, they have also fired missiles at Saudi airports, oil facilities, and pipelines and used booby-trapped boats to attack key shipping routes.
UAE foreign policy is governed by Abu Dhabi, which is the UAE’s seat of government.
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