Abu Dhabi Airport Explosion : A possible drone strike caused an explosion in Abu Dhabi and destroyed three oil tankers, while another explosion at the Abu Dhabi International Airport killed three people and injured six on January 17, 2022.
Two of the dead were identified as Indian citizens, while one person was from Pakistan. Although Abu Dhabi Police did not offer any suspects, Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the attack.
According to Abu Dhabi Police, small flying objects have been detected, possibly related to drones. They fell in two areas which caused the explosion. The second explosion took place in three petroleum transport tankers near a storage facility of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company in the Musaffa area.
The UAE has been at war in Yemen since 2015. The UAE was also a key member of the Saudi-led coalition that launched attacks against the Iranian-backed Houthis. Although the UAE has reduced its troops on the ground, it actively engages in warfare and supports major militias against the Houthi.
The Houthi movement is an Islamic political and armed movement. It emerged from Saada in northern Yemen in 1990. The movement is a predominantly Zaidi Shia force, and is led by the Houthi tribe. The Houthis have a complicated relationship with Yemen’s Sunni Muslims but the movement has discriminated against Sunnis. The group emerged as an opposition to former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh, led by Hussein Badruddin al-Houthi.
