The Houthi movement claimed responsibility for a series of explosions that
hit the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Abu Dhabi, on Monday
(17/1/2022). The explosions included near the ADNOC oil company depot, as
well as the city's airport.
"The forces of the Saudi Arabia-led Arab coalition started bombing the
Yemeni capital Sanaa in response to the attacks carried out by the Houthis
in the UAE," Sky News Arabia reported on Tuesday morning (18/1/2022).
According to a statement from the coalition, "The air strikes were initiated
in response to threats and military needs." The strikes were said to have
targeted "terrorist leaders."
"The coalition air force is conducting round-the-clock operations in the
skies over Sanaa. We urge civilians to stay away from military camps and
Houthi gatherings for their safety," the statement said.
The attack by the F-15 aircraft is said to have destroyed two ballistic
missile launchers used on Monday (17/1/2022) to attack UAE territory.
Al-Masirah, a Yemeni TV channel owned by the Houthi rebels, reported four
people were killed and five injured in the Arab coalition attack.
The Houthi movement confirmed it had carried out attacks with mine drones on
airports in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Not only that, the Houthis are threatening
new attacks on important strategic objects in the UAE.
According to Yemeni Armed Forces spokesman Yahya Sare'e, five ballistic
missiles and a large number of drones were used to carry out the attack.
According to police, three fuel tanks hit by the drone exploded near the Abu
Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) fuel depot. Another explosion set fire to
the Abu Dhabi airport area. Three people died in the attack, including one
Pakistani national and two Indian nationals, and six people were injured.
Shortly after the attack, UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah Bin Zayed asked US
Secretary of State Antony Blinken to restore the Houthis' status as a
terrorist organization, Axios reported.
US President Joe Biden, who removed the movement from the US list of Foreign
Terrorist Organizations (FTO) last year, argued the appointment was
hampering the delivery of humanitarian aid to Yemen as the country is hit by
the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
Yemen has been beset by armed conflict between government forces led by
President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi and the Houthi rebels for more than six
years.
The situation was further exacerbated after the Saudi-led coalition
cooperated with Hadi's forces and joined the conflict in 2015 and began
conducting air, land and sea operations against the Houthis.
