President Moon's Visit to UAE Amid 'Yemeni Rebel Attacks'

Dubai-Abu Dhabi Airstrike Site 100km Away
Schedule Carried Out Without Major Disruption

(Ras Al Khaimah=Yonhap News) President Moon Jae-in visited Sheikh Khalifa Specialist Hospital in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on the 17th (local time) and toured the hospital together with Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, the ruler of Ras Al Khaimah. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] International airport and oil facilities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where President Moon Jae-in is visiting, were attacked by drones, presumed to be unmanned aerial vehicles.

On the 17th (local time), the state-run WAM news agency reported that explosions and fires occurred at Abu Dhabi International Airport and oil facilities in the capital city of Abu Dhabi.

On the same day, Abu Dhabi police issued a statement announcing that fires broke out at three crude oil storage facilities of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and at a new construction site within Abu Dhabi International Airport.

The police explained, "Initial investigations found small aircraft parts near the fire sites," adding, "It is possible that armed drones caused explosions and fires at these facilities."

Additionally, the police stated that two Indian workers and one Pakistani worker died in the oil facilities due to the explosions, and six other workers were injured.

According to foreign media including the AP news agency, Yemeni rebels claimed responsibility for the attack on the UAE shortly after the fires broke out.

While President Moon was carrying out his visit schedule in Dubai, an attack occurred in the nearby city of Abu Dhabi, but the president completed all scheduled events in Dubai that day.

Abu Dhabi International Airport, where the explosion occurred, and Dubai are about 100 km apart in a straight line. Therefore, there are observations that the possibility of damage from external forces' attacks is extremely low.

The Yemeni civil war, which began in 2014, has escalated into a proxy war between Iran and Saudi Arabia. The United Nations estimated that as of the end of last year, the direct and indirect death toll from the Yemeni civil war reached 377,000.