One of the access gates at Abu Dhabi airport, in a January 2019 photo. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS (AFP)
A small fire at the Abu Dhabi airport and the explosion of three oil tankers in a nearby industrial area have alarmed the population of the usually quiet capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Monday. Preliminary investigations point to the possibility that the incidents were caused by drones, according to state news agency Wam. Yemen's Huthi rebels have claimed responsibility. There are three dead (two Indian citizens and one Pakistani) and six injured.
Abu Dhabi Police have confirmed that three tanker trucks exploded after a fire started in a storage area of Adnoc, the national oil company of Abu Dhabi, in the Musaffah neighbourhood.
It has also reported a smaller fire in the new construction area of the International Airport in the Emirati capital.
Emergency services came to put out the fires.
There are no reports of significant injuries or material damage.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the causes of both incidents.
But preliminary investigations suggest, according to Wam, that they were caused by “small flying objects, possibly related to drones”, that fell in the affected areas.
If this end is confirmed, the origin of these drones and the possibility that it is an attack remains to be determined.
The United Arab Emirates has strict regulations on the private use of drones and where they can be flown.
The Huthi's military spokesman, General Yehya Sarea, announced on Twitter that the group had launched a military operation "in the heart of the UAE" and would provide details in the coming hours.
The Huthi, aligned with Iran, have been facing an Arab military coalition, led by Saudi Arabia, since March 2015 to restore the government that they toppled a few months earlier.
Although the United Arab Emirates withdrew its troops from Yemen two years ago, it has great influence through its local allies.
Those forces have stepped up their attack on rebel positions in Yemen's Shabwa and Mareb regions in recent weeks.
Despite being in a troubled area, the country has so far remained on the sidelines of the terrorist attacks that from time to time shake its neighbors.
However, some extremist groups have made threats in the past and some ships have been attacked in its waters.
The Houthis also claimed responsibility in 2019 for a drone attack on Saudi Arabian oil facilities that all analysts attributed to Iran.
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