The Indian Consulate in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is still trying to get details of the two Indians who were among three killed in an explosion caused by a suspected drone strike near capital Abu Dhabi, Sunjay Sudhir, Indian Envoy to the United Arab Emirates, told .
“Our top priority is to find out who these Indians are so that we can reach out to their families and do whatever is necessary,” he said, stressing that the country is “a very safe place” and that’s the message they are trying to communicate to the Indian community.
He appealed to the Indian community in UAE, and also people in India who have relatives and friends in the country, to stay calm.
“There has been an explosion at oil storage containers of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) in the Musaffah area which is around 20 km from capital Abu Dhabi and unfortunately, two Indians have died. We are still trying to get the details of the identities of the Indians,” Mr Sudhir said.
Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement has claimed responsibility for the attack. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree told the broadcaster, Almasirah, that they would soon give details of their “military operation in UAE territory”.
The incident in Abu Dhabi comes just days after a UAE ship was seized by the Houthis. The United Nations Security Council has condemned the seizure and demanded immediate release of the vessel and crew.
Yemen has been engulfed in a conflict between government forces led by President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, and the Houthi rebels. Since March 2015, a Saudi-led Arab alliance working with Mr Hadi’s forces has been conducting air, land and sea operations against the Houthis.
There was apparently another incident, a fire at the new construction site of the Abu Dhabi international airport, but details are still tricking in, Mr Sudhir said.
He added that the Indian consulate is “geared to deal with any situation” and repeatedly appealed to everyone to stay calm. “We will share details of the identities of the two Indians who were killed as soon as we have it,” he said.
