Satellite photos show aftermath of Abu Dhabi oil site attack

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Satellite photos obtained by The Associated Press connected Tuesday look to amusement the aftermath of a fatal onslaught connected an lipid installation successful the superior of the United Arab Emirates claimed by Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

The images by Planet Labs PBC analyzed by the AP amusement fume rising implicit an Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. substance depot successful the Mussafah vicinity of Abu Dhabi connected Monday. Another representation taken soon aft appears to amusement scorch marks and achromatic fire-suppressing foam deployed connected the grounds of the depot.

The Abu Dhabi National Oil Co., known by the acronym ADNOC, is the state-owned vigor steadfast that provides overmuch of the wealthiness of the UAE, a federation of 7 sheikhdoms connected the Arabian Peninsula besides location to Dubai.

ADNOC did not instantly respond to questions from the AP asking astir the tract and harm estimates from the attack. The institution said the onslaught happened astir 10 a.m. Monday.

“We are moving intimately with the applicable authorities to find the nonstop origin and a elaborate probe has commenced,” ADNOC said successful an earlier statement.

The onslaught killed 2 Indian nationals and 1 Pakistani arsenic 3 tankers astatine the tract exploded, constabulary said. Six radical were besides wounded astatine the facility, which is adjacent Al-Dhafra Air Base, a monolithic Emirati installation besides location to American and French forces.

Another occurrence besides struck Abu Dhabi International Airport, though harm successful that onslaught could not beryllium seen.

Senior Emirati diplomat Anwar Gargash blamed the Houthis for the attack, saying connected Twitter that Emirati authorities were handling the rebel group’s “vicious onslaught connected immoderate civilian facilities” successful the United Arab Emirates’ superior with “transparency and responsibility.”

“The tampering of the region’s information by violent militias is excessively anemic to impact the stableness and information successful which we live,” helium said.

Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels claimed they were down an onslaught targeting “sensitive Emirati facilities.” In a property league precocious Monday, subject spokesperson Yehia Sarea said, without offering evidence, that the Houthis targeted the airports of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, arsenic good arsenic an lipid refinery and different sites successful the UAE with ballistic missiles and explosive-laden drones.

Although the UAE has mostly withdrawn its ain forces from Yemen, it is inactive actively engaged successful the struggle and supports Yemeni militias warring the Houthis.

The incidental comes arsenic the Houthis look unit and are suffering dense losses. Yemeni authorities forces, allied and backed by the UAE, person pushed backmost the rebels successful cardinal provinces. Aided by the Emirati-backed Giants Brigades, the authorities forces took backmost the state of Shabwa earlier this period successful a stroke to Houthi efforts to implicit their power of the full bluish fractional of Yemen.

Condemnations of the onslaught connected the UAE poured successful from crossed the world.

U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the United States would enactment with the UAE and planetary partners to clasp the Houthis accountable, saying “we basal beside our Emirati partners against each threats to their territory.”

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres denounced the battle arsenic “prohibited by planetary law” and urged each sides “to forestall immoderate escalation amid heightened tensions successful the region,” said spokesperson Stephane Dujarric. The U.N. peculiar envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg was headed to Riyadh for meetings with Saudi and Yemeni officials connected “the caller subject uptick” successful Yemen, Dujarric added.

Saudi Arabia and a big of different Arab states decried the battle arsenic “a cowardly violent attack.” The kingdom, arsenic good arsenic the U.S., U.N. experts and others person accused Iran of supplying arms to the Houthis.

The UAE was a cardinal subordinate of the Saudi-led conjugation that has waged warfare against the Houthis since 2015, trying to reconstruct to powerfulness the internationally backed government, ousted by the rebels the erstwhile year.

While Emirati troops person been killed implicit the people of the conflict, present successful its 8 year, the warfare has not straight affected regular beingness successful the wider UAE, a state with a immense overseas workforce.

Follow Jon Gambrell connected twitter astatine www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP.