Multiple Dead In UAE Tanker Explosion Attack Claimed By Yemen’s Houthis
Drone wars in the Middle East intensified Monday when Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement claimed to have flown drones into an oil storage facility in Abu Dhabi, reported Al Arabiya.
Abu Dhabi police said three tanker trucks exploded in an oil storage facility owned by the state-owned oil company Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) in the industrial Musaffah area. Another explosion was reported at an extension of Abu Dhabi’s airport.
#WATCH The first #Video of the attack on #AbuDhabi airport and oil facilities in the #Musaffah area. Fires are burning #Houthi @DrSajed #الإمارات#الحوثي pic.twitter.com/cg0eJ1zJXZ
— Vivek Bajpai (@vivekbajpai84) January 17, 2022
“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 told state news agency WAM.
WAM reports the explosions killed two Indian and one Pakistani national, and six others were injured at the ADNOC storage facilities.
Yemen’s Houthi movement claimed responsibility for the attacks in Abu Dhabi. A Houthi military spokesperson said the group launched the drone attack deep within UAE territory.
An Al Arabiya correspondent said the fires had been brought under control, and no major flight cancelations and delays were announced.
In the last several years, the UAE has wound down its military presence in Yemen but continues to exercise power in the region as Houthi rebels are well-armed and trained.
Readers may recall that Houthi/Iran fired drones and missiles at Saudi Arabia’s Aramco facility in 2019, Riyadh called the assault an attack on global energy security. Combine geopolitical instability in the Middle East with tight oil supplies worldwide, and crude prices could head much higher due to uncertainty.
Tyler Durden Mon, 01/17/2022 – 07:41
