Pakistan strongly condemns Houthis attack in UAE

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday strongly condemned the terrorist attack carried out by the Houthi rebels in UAE.

“Pakistan strongly condemns the heinous terrorist attack on civilian areas carried out by the Houthis in Abu Dhabi that claimed several lives, including one Pakistani national, ” Foreign Office Spokesperson Asim Iftikhar said in a statement.

“We offer our condolences to the families of the victims and wish a speedy recovery to the injured,” the spokesperson added.

He went on to say that such attacks violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the UAE and pose a grave threat to regional peace and security. Pakistan calls for their immediate cessation.

Iftikhar further said that Pakistan stands in solidarity with the brotherly people and government of the United Arab Emirates in the face of this wanton act of terrorism.

Read more: Saudi-led coalition accuses Yemeni Houthis of “hijacking UAE-flagged ship”

On the other hand, Yemen’s Houthi rebel group claimed responsibility for a “qualitative military operation” that struck areas deep inside the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as part of the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen.

“An important statement will be announced in the upcoming hours to reveal details on the strategic operation deep inside the UAE,” said the group’s spokesman Yahya Saree in a brief press statement.

The Houthis’ claim just after three petroleum tankers exploded in a fire near the storage facilities of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) in the UAE capital’s Musaffah industrial district, the official WAM news agency reported, citing an announcement of the Abu Dhabi police.

A minor fire also broke out in the new construction area of Abu Dhabi International Airport, according to the WAM.

Initial investigations show the fires and explosions were possibly caused by unidentified drones in the area, WAM said.

Read more: Yemen’s Houthi militia claims responsibility for missile attack on Saudi capital

The UAE is an active member of the Saudi-led coalition which has been fighting a large-scale war against the Houthi rebel militia in various areas of Yemen.

The Saudi-led coalition intervened in the Yemeni conflict in 2015 to support the Yemeni internationally recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after the Iran-backed Houthi militia forced him out of the capital Sanaa.

The Houthi militia has recently intensified cross-border drone and missile attacks against different Saudi cities. In February 2021, the Houthi militia launched a major offensive against the government army to capture the oil-rich province of Marib in central Yemen.