Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia on Monday said that it launched a drone attack on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after UAE authorities reported two fires in the nation’s capital Abu Dhabi that may have been carried by drones.
Footage from 4 hours ago in #AbuDhabi, #UAE from Snapchat shows a large plume of smoke rising from the area near the reported attack. Footage was taken from https://t.co/TX9XEzHluv pic.twitter.com/9mWdgXRUMW
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The Abu Dhabi police released a statement on its government-run news agency WAM, which reported explosions on three oil tankers in the industrial Musaffah zone adjacent to storage facilities of the Abu Dhabi government-owned oil firm ADNOC. Fires were also reported at a construction site at Abu Dhabi International airport.
“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 said in a statement on state news agency WAM.
No “significant damage” was reported from the events and a full investigation was launched, the statement said.
The military spokesman of Yemen’s Houthi militia, who is currently fighting against a military coalition led by the Saudis as well as the UAE, said that the terror organization executed a military operation “deep in the UAE” and will announce details in the coming hours, Zee News reports.
Pro-coalition forces backed by the UAE have joined the battle against the Houthis recently in Yemen’s energy-manufacturing areas of Marib and Shabwa.
The UAE has mainly downgraded its military presence in Yemen in 2019. However, it still holds sway through the Yemenite forces it armed and trained.
The Houthi terrorists have repeatedly executed cross-border missile and drone strikes inside Saudi Arabia. They have also threatened to attack the UAE however this is the first time they have made good on their threat.
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