NEW DELHI: The Indian embassy in the UAE said on Tuesday the two Indian nationals killed during a drone attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Abu Dhabi had been identified and the mission was in touch with their families.
The embassy in Abu Dhabi also said two of the six people injured in Monday’s attack were Indian nationals and were discharged after medical treatment.
Saudi Arabia-led coalition forces carried out an airstrike on the Houthi-held Yemeni capital Sanaa in retaliation for the attack on Abu Dhabi. According to initial estimates cited in media reports, the airstrike killed 14 people. The coalition also said it intercepted eight drones launched towards Saudi Arabia on Monday.
In an update on Monday’s incident posted on Twitter, the Indian embassy in Abu Dhabi said, “Identities of two deceased Indian nationals established. @IndembAbuDhabi officials are in touch with their family members. The mission is working closely with UAE authorities, including ADNOC, for early repatriation of mortal remains.”
The mission did not give details about the two dead Indians.
{{/usCountry}}The mission did not give details about the two dead Indians.
{{/usCountry}}The embassy said, “Of the six injured, two are Indian nationals. After receiving medical treatment, they were discharged yesterday night.”
The mission thanked the government and foreign ministry of the UAE and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) for their support.
ADNOC confirmed on Monday that the three people – two Indians and a Pakistani national – killed in the drone attack were its employees.
The three people died in explosions and fires that followed the drone attack by Houthi rebels. The explosions hit three petroleum transport tankers near ADNOC’s storage tanks at the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi. Another fire broke out in a new construction area of Abu Dhabi international airport.
Houthi military spokesman Yahia Sarei said his group had launched an attack deep inside the UAE, but didn’t provide details.
The ADNOC storage facility, where the tankers caught fire, is 1,800km northeast of Saada, the Houthi stronghold in Yemen.
The attack in Abu Dhabi came a fortnight after Houthi rebels seized the UAE-flagged vessel Rwabee with 11 crew members, including seven Indian nationals, in the Red Sea. India and the UAE have demanded the immediate release of the crew members.
Yemen has seen intense fighting since Houthi rebels seized the capital Sanaa in 2014. The UAE is part of the Saudi-led coalition that intervened in support of the government in 2015. Though the UAE has decreased the number of troops it has on the ground, it continues to support militias fighting the Houthis and cooperates with the US in counterterrorism efforts in Yemen.