UPDATE: Riyadh said three drones were intercepted over Saudi Arabia
On January 17, the Yemeni movement of Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, attacked facilities in the UAE. The group claimed a “qualitative military operation deep in the UAE”, adding that more details would be announced in the coming hours.
Abu Dhabi police said three fuel tankers had exploded in the industrial Musaffah area near storage facilities of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company ADNOC.
They said a fire had also broken out at a construction site at Abu Dhabi International Airport – but added it was “minor” and took place at an extension of the main airport which is still under construction.
Three people were killed and six injured in the fire, the official WAM news agency reported. One Pakistani and two Indian nationals were among the victims, and six others were wounded with injuries ranging from light to medium, according to WAM.
At the same time, no significant material damage was reported. Both fires have been brought under control and air traffic was not affected, according to an Al Arabiya.
According to the local police, small flying objects were detected over the targeted facilities.
Probably, the strikes were carried out by kamikaze UAV. The Houthis have repeatedly used them to attack infrastructure facilities in Saudi Arabia.
The Houthi attack was likely a response to the recent operation dubbed Southern Storm aimed to expel the Houthis from Yemen’s central-southern province of Shabawah. The operation is mainly led by the UAE-backed Giant Brigades, a force of an estimated 15,000 fighters, with support from the Yemeni Armed Forces and backed by air cover from warplanes of the Saudi-led coalition .
Despite the Houthis’ fierce resistance, the Saudi-led coalition’s proxies, led by the Giants Brigade, continue to gain new territories. Most recently, on January 15, they reportedly managed to capture the towns of Banu Qais, Al Musa, Jerada, the Hajla, Ikrimah Al Buthaif, Al al-Atir and al-Helwah in the district of Harib in Ma’rib.
On January 14, the Ansar Allah spokesperson Yahya Sare’e claimed that “the Houthi forces confronted a wide advance of the UAE mercenaries and ISIS towards Haraib and A’ain districts without any advance despite the intense air cover with more than 24 air raids.”
“The armed forces call on the people and families of the UAE mercenaries to withdraw their sons from engaging them in battles that serve only America and its alias in the region.” – the statement reads.
