Drone Attack May Be Behind Abu Dhabi Tanker Explosion, Fire

Drones may have sparked an explosion on three oil tankers in Abu Dhabi and may have sparked a separate fire at an extension of the emirate’s main airport on Monday, according to a statement by police.

Abu Dhabi police described the airport fire as “minor” and said it took place at an extension of Abu Dhabi’s main international airport still under construction. The statement reported a separate explosion on three petroleum tankers near a storage facility for ADNOC, Abu Dhabi’s state-owned oil company.

Abu Dhabi police said preliminary investigations indicated the detection of small flying objects, possibly belonging to drones, that fell in the two areas and may have caused the explosion and fire. They said there was no significant damage from the incidents, without offering further details.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels, meanwhile, claimed to have launched an attack in the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi is the UAE’s seat of government and steers the country’s foreign policy.

The UAE has been at war in Yemen since early 2015, and was a key member of the Saudi-led coalition that launched attacks against the Iranian-backed Houthis after the group overran the capital of Yemen and ousted the internationally backed government there.

Houthi military spokesman Yahia Sarei said the group launched an attack deep in the UAE. He did not provide further details, saying a statement would be released soon.