Ansar Allah cross-border attacks on UAE underline continued ability to strike key regional economic infrastructure despite territorial losses

• On 17 January, three civilians were killed and six others were wounded when an unspecified number of missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), launched by Yemeni militant group Ansar Allah, targeted oil storage tanks at the Abu Dhabi Oil Refining Company (ADNOC) in the Musaffah industrial area and at Abu Dhabi International Airport in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
• Although the attacks marked the first by Ansar Allah in the UAE recorded by Janes since August 2018, the targeting of energy assets with missiles and UAVs is consistent with the group's modus operandi and growing capabilities.
• Further similar attacks targeting economic interests and strategic infrastructure in the UAE are highly likely in the coming three-to-six months, particularly as Ansar Allah attempts to demonstrate strength amid territorial losses.

This dashboard shows stand-off/area attacks – including the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and ballistic missiles – conducted by Ansar Allah militants between January 2016 and December 2021. (Janes 2022

On 17 January, three civilians – one Pakistani national and two Indian nationals – were killed and six others were wounded when an unspecified number of missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), launched by Yemeni non-state armed group Ansar Allah, targeted three oil storage tanks at the Abu Dhabi Oil Refining Company (ADNOC) in the Musaffah industrial area and at Abu Dhabi International Airport in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Citing Abu Dhabi Police, the official Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported that day that a fire had broken out at ADNOC, which led to the explosion of three oil tanks, and that there was a “small fire” at the airport. ADNOC released a statement that day confirming the death of three of its employees.