In a major escalation of tension in West Asia, a drone attack that struck three oil tankers at Dhabi International Airport Abu Dhabi killed three people and wounded six. Two Indians and one Pakistani were among the fatalities, according to Abu Dhabi police. It did not name the injured, who authorities said had slight to moderate injuries.
Whilst Abu Dhabi police did not initially name any suspects in the alleged attack, Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for an attack on the UAE without providing any details. The Houthis, who are backed by Iran, have claimed responsibility for multiple strikes that Emirati officials later disputed.
Update: Smoke seen in #AbuDhabi following suspected #Houthi drone attack on three oil tankers. pic.twitter.com/IS44EJAGeU
— Al Bawaba News (@AlBawabaEnglish) January 17, 2022
It is to be noted that the event occurred while Yemen's years-long conflict continues, and an Emirati-flagged warship was just captured by the Houthis . This is despite the fact that Abu Dhabi has mostly withdrawn its national forces from the crisis tearing apart the Arab world's poorest country while continuing to back local militias.
Preliminary investigations by Abu Dhabi police revealed the discovery of small flying objects, perhaps drones, that dropped in the two sites and may have caused the explosion and fire. They stated that the occurrences caused no serious damage but did not provide any other information.
Yemen War
Since early 2015, the UAE has been at war in Yemen, and was a significant part of the Saudi-led coalition that commenced airstrikes against the Iranian-backed Houthis after they overran Yemen's capital and deposed the internationally recognized government.
Despite the fact that the UAE has reduced the number of troops on the ground, it remains actively involved in the conflict and supports crucial militias battling the Houthis. In Yemen, it also works closely with the US in counter-terrorism operations.
