The explosion of tank trucks killed three people on Monday, January 17 in Abu Dhabi, police said in the Emirati capital, while the Yemeni Houthi rebels announced a "major military operation" in the United Arab Emirates.

The explosion of the three tankers took place "near the storage tanks of ADNOC", the oil company of Abu Dhabi, and resulted in the death of a Pakistani and two Indians, according to the official agency WAM which also reports "six light to moderate injuries".

A “minor fire” also occurred in “the new construction area of ​​Abu Dhabi International Airport”, the authorities having not reported any casualties.

Meanwhile, Houthi rebels in Yemen said they would make an "important announcement" in the coming hours about a "major military operation in the United Arab Emirates", according to a tweet from their carrier. military word, Yahya Saree.

The explosion and fire were "probably" caused by "drones", with "flying objects" having "fallen" on the affected scene, WAM said, citing Abu Dhabi police, who launched a " extensive investigation.

The UAE is a member of the Saudi-led military coalition that has been operating in Yemen since 2015 to support government forces against the Houthis, Iran-backed insurgents.

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.

For their part, the rebels have increased missile and drone attacks against Saudi territory.

"Drones launched from Sanaa"

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", according to the official Saudi press agency SPA.

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.

On January 3, the rebels seized the boat "Rwabee" flying the flag of the Emirates, off the port of Hodeida in western Yemen, claiming that 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 fighting 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.

With AFP

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