Two Indians among three killed in suspected drone attack in Abu Dhabi
Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group claimed responsibility for the attack.
Three people, including two Indian nationals, were killed on Monday after a suspected drone attack sparked an explosion that struck three oil tankers in United Arab Emirates capital Abu Dhabi, AP reported.
The tankers had exploded in the industrial Musaffah area, near storage facilities of oil firm ADNOC. A fire also broke out at an extension of Abu Dhabi International Airport.
Apart from the two Indian nations, one Pakistani also died in the blast, the Abu Dhabi police said, adding that six people were injured.
The identity of the Indians is being ascertained, Indian envoy to the UAE, Sunjay Sudhir, told ANI.
The Abu Dhabi police said an inquiry was underway into the cause of the explosion. “Initial investigations found parts of a small plane that could possibly be a drone at both sites that could have caused the explosion and the fire,” the police added.
Footage on social media showed a thick plume of black smoke rising into the sky.
Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group claimed responsibility for the attack, Reuters reported.
The Houthi’s military spokesperson said the group had launched a military operation “deep in the UAE” and would reveal more details in the next few hours.
The UAE was an important member of the Saudi Arabia-led coalition that launched attacks against the Houthis after the rebels overran the capital of Yemen and ousted the government from power.
The Houthis have frequently launched cross-border missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, though Emirati officials have denied this.