INTERNATIONAL: Three people die in a suspected Houthi drone attack near Abu Dhabi airport and has sparked multiple explosions in the United Arab Emirates' capital on Monday, 17 January, 2022.

An Abu Dhabi police statement has said three tanker trucks carrying fuel have exploded in the emirate's Mussafah area after catching fire, with preliminary investigations pointing to a drone attack.

The three fatalities were a Pakistani and two Indians , and six more other people were injured.

Deadly attacks are extremely rare in the UAE, long considered an island of stability in a turbulent region In recent years, Houthi rebels have claimed to have launched multiple attacks on the country, but Emirati authorities have denied the allegations.

Abu Dhabi police has confirmed that a fire broke out this morning, which led to the explosion of three petroleum tankers in ICAD 3, Mussafah, near ADNOC's storage tanks. A minor fire also broke out in the new construction area of Abu Dhabi International Airport."

The UAE has been part of a Saudi-led military campaign against the Houthi rebels in Yemen since 2015. On Thursday, the Saudi-led coalition said they detected multiple explosive-lade drones launched from the airport in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, which is controlled by Houthis.