Deadly explosion in Abu Dhabi, the Houthis claim a "military operation"
Oil giant ADNOC's storage facility in the United Arab Emirates' capital Abu Dhabi on January 17, 2022. Three tanker trucks exploded near the site on Monday killing three people.
AFP - -
Text by: RFI Follow
3 mins
In Abu Dhabi, the federal capital of the United Arab Emirates, two "
accidents
" potentially caused by "
drones
" were reported on Monday.
At this point, local police report three dead and six injured.
An “extensive investigation” was launched to “
determine the causes and the circumstances
”.
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The information was confirmed by the official news agency of the United Arab Emirates: three tank trucks exploded on Monday in the industrial zone of Abu Dhabi near the storage facilities of the national oil company ADNOC.
A "
minor fire
" was also reported at a construction site at the city's international airport.
Authorities did not report any casualties.
According to the Abu Dhabi police,
"preliminary investigations indicate the detection of small flying objects, possibly drones
" around the two areas where these "
accidents
" occurred, reports our correspondent in Dubai,
Nicolas Keraudren.
At the same time on the social network Twitter, the Houthis in Yemen, through their spokesman Yahya Saree, confirmed "
a military operation
" in the United Arab Emirates.
The rebels did not provide further details.
Back in support of the "Giants" brigade
In recent months, the Houthis have repeatedly launched missile and drone attacks against
Saudi Arabia
and have also in the past threatened to attack the United Arab Emirates.
The Gulf monarchy has been a
key player
in the Arab coalition in Yemen's seven-year war in support of government forces against the Houthis, Iran-backed insurgents.
► Read also: Saudi Arabia accuses Iran and Hezbollah of helping rebels in Yemen
After distancing themselves, they recently returned to the field in Yemen, notably supporting the "Giants" brigade which "liberated" territories taken by the rebels.
The conflict in Yemen has intensified in recent weeks with an increase in coalition raids and ground offensives by forces it supports.
Presenting itself as a haven of peace in the troubled region of the Middle East, the Emirates had never been the victim of a known attack by the Houthis.
The coalition said on Monday that it had noted an upsurge in "
drone bombs launched by the Houthis from Sanaa International Airport
" in Yemen, according to the official Saudi press agency.
Since taking over the capital Sanaa in 2014, the rebels have managed to seize large swaths of Yemeni territory, particularly in the north.
The UAE's intervention had until recently been concentrated in southern Yemen.
An Emirati ship in the hands of the Houthis
On January 3, rebels
seized the UAE-flagged boat
Rwabee
off the port of Hodeidah in western Yemen, claiming it was carrying military equipment.
Abu Dhabi, which assures that the boat was transporting equipment for a Yemeni hospital, denounced a "
dangerous escalation
" in the Red Sea.
This act of piracy, according to the coalition, occurred when the "Giants" brigade was confronting the rebels in the Chabwa region.
Last week, these loyalist forces enabled the government to retake this oil-rich province after bitter fighting against the Houthis.
Iran, which has difficult relations with the Emirates, is the only country to openly support the rebels while denying supplying them with weapons, which Saudi Arabia and the United States accuse it of.
►
To read also: Yemen: the Houthi rebels refuse to release the Emirati ship
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