Abu Dhabi Gas Explosion Prompts US Embassy Warning of Possible Attack

The US Embassy in the United Arab Emirates issued a security alert early Wednesday morning after a blast just after midnight sent a fireball into the sky over the capital, Abu Dhabi. “There are reports of a possible missile or drone strike having occurred,” the embassy alert said. Houthi rebels in Yemen have recently launched a series of drone and missile attacks on the UAE. But the Emirates’ official WAM news agency reported that first responders “put out a fire caused by a gas cylinder explosion” in a building on Hamdan Street, in downtown Abu Dhabi. “The teams managed to control the situation after extinguishing the fire and safely vacating the residents,” it said. Unverified footage posted on social media showed an explosion at the top of a building and emergency services arriving on the busy street below as bystanders watched.