On Monday, Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry made a phone call with his UAE counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, to reassure about what was reported about the explosion of three oil tankers and a fire near Abu Dhabi International Airport, resulting in the death and injury of a number of civilians.
Shoukry expressed the solidarity of Egypt, the government and people, with the United Arab Emirates as a result of this incident and its condolences for the loss of life, and wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured.
The minister affirmed the follow-up to what was reported from the illegal Houthi militia regarding the implementation of a qualitative operation in the UAE.
Shoukry confirmed Egypt’s condemnation of any terrorist act committed by the Houthi militia to target the security, stability and safety of the UAE and its citizens. He affairmed Egypt’s support for all measures taken by the UAE to deal with any action.
The Foreign Minister also conveyed to his Emirati counterpart Egypt’s firm position on supporting the security and stability of the United Arab Emirates, the close link between Egyptian national security and the security of the UAE, and the intimate fraternal relations that link the peoples of the two countries.
On Monday, a suspected Houthi drone attack near Abu Dhabi airport killed at least three people and triggered several explosions around the UAE capital, CNN reported.
Three tanker trucks carrying petrol exploded in the emirate’s Mussafah neighbourhood after catching fire, according to an Abu Dhabi police statement, with preliminary findings pointing to a drone strike.
According to the official news agency of the UAE, WAM, one Pakistani and two Indians were murdered, while six others were injured.
The Houthi rebels in Yemen, who are backed by Iran, claimed they would issue a statement shortly regarding “a special military operation carried out in the heart of the UAE,” according to the Houthi-owned Al Masirah TV channel.
According to state-run news outlet WAM, UAE officials accused the Houthis for the incident and warned the country “reserves the right to respond.”
The Monday attacks on Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) gasoline facilities and the airport, according to WAM, would not go unpunished, according to Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed.
“The horrific Houthi attack on some civilian facilities in Abu Dhabi is being dealt with clearly and responsibly by UAE authorities,” said Anwar Gargash, the UAE leadership’s foreign adviser.
The UAE is dealing with the attack, according to Gargash, a former minister of state for foreign affairs, adding the “reckless” attempt is too feeble to disturb the country’s stability.
In the United Arab Emirates, which has long been seen as a haven of peace in a volatile region, deadly assaults are extremely rare. Houthi rebels have claimed to have launched many attacks on the country in recent years, but Emirati authorities have refuted the claims. Houthi rebels fire missiles against Saudi Arabia on a regular basis, with the country intercepting the vast majority of them.
“Abu Dhabi police verified that a fire broke out this morning in ICAD 3, Mussafah, near ADNOC’s storage tanks, resulting in the explosion of three petroleum tankers,” a statement on WAM read. “A little fire also broke out in the Abu Dhabi International Airport’s new construction section.”
Two explosions were heard, with a black column of smoke coming from the direction of the airport, according to a CNN journalist. A fighter plane, most likely belonging to the UAE, was also seen circling the region, according to CNN.
According to Pakistan’s foreign ministry, the Pakistani Embassy is in contact with UAE authorities after a Pakistani national perished in the event.
Since 2015, the UAE has been a part in a Saudi-led military action in Yemen against the Houthi rebels. The UAE announced in 2019 that it was reducing its forces in Yemen as part of a “strategic” redeployment.
