DUBAI / NEW DELHI: Two Indians and a Pakistani were killed on Monday in the United Arab Emirates in a suspected drone attack by Iran-backed Houthis. The victims were caught in a fire after “small flying objects” triggered an explosion in three petroleum tankers near the Abu Dhabi airport.
The Indian embassy said in a tweet that UAE authorities had confirmed three casualties in the explosions, which included two Indian nationals. The mission is in close touch with the UAE authorities to seek details of the incident, it said. Another minor fire broke out in the new construction area of the Abu Dhabi International Airport, according to the Emirates News Agency.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the cause of the fires are small flying objects, possibly belonging to drones, that fell in the two areas. Teams from the competent authorities have been dispatched and the fire is currently being put out,” it said.
This is the second time in the past few weeks that Indian nationals have been caught in the crossfire between the Houthis in Yemen and a Saudi-led coalition. Seven Indians are among the 11-member crew on a UAE-flagged ship that was hijacked off the coast of Yemen earlier this month by the Houthis.
Abu Dhabi police identified the dead as two Indian nationals and one Pakistani, the Gulf News has reported. At least six persons were injured, police said, without disclosing their identities.
Authorities have launched an extensive investigation into the cause of the fire and the circumstances surrounding it, police added. “However, there are no significant damages resulting from the two accidents,” reported WAM.
Meanwhile, Yemen’s Houthi rebels have claimed that they have targeted the UAE, without giving details. The Houthi group has taken responsibility for several attacks on Saudi oil facilities in the past.