A massive fire broke out near Dubai International Airport early on Monday after a drone strike hit a fuel tank in the vicinity of the facility, prompting authorities to temporarily suspend flight operations as a precautionary measure amid the ongoing US-Israel-Iran war in the Middle East.
Dubai authorities said civil defence teams were immediately deployed to contain the blaze, and no injuries had been reported so far in the incident at one of the busiest international airports in the world, located close to the city centre in Dubai.
A purported video of the incident widely circulated on social media showed massive flames visible from a considerable distance, indicating the scale of the blaze. India Today could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.
"A drone incident in the vicinity of Dubai International Airport (DXB) affected one of the fuel tanks. Dubai Civil Defence teams are currently working to bring the fire under control. No injuries have been reported so far," the Dubai Media Office said.
The strike comes a day after Iran called for the evacuation of three major ports in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), marking the first time Tehran has threatened a neighbouring country’s non-US assets. Iran accused the US of using ports, docks and hideouts in the UAE to launch recent strikes on Kharg Island, home to the main terminal handling Iran’s oil exports.
Tehran has been targeting US bases and interests across the Middle East since the outbreak of the US-Israeli war on Iran on February 28, which killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and caused widespread damage to its strategic and administrative infrastructure.
Gulf Arab nations have since faced more than 2,000 missile and drone attacks targeting a wide range of locations, including US diplomatic missions, military bases, and critical infrastructure such as oil facilities, ports, airports, hotels, and residential and commercial buildings.
Dubai Airport has been targeted by drones multiple times, with the most recent attack reported on March 7. Visuals showed a massive plume of smoke engulfing the area, while passengers waiting for flights inside the airport rushed into train tunnels at the airfield after an alert was sounded.
Earlier, on March 1, the airport and the landmark Burj Al Arab hotel sustained damage in an overnight Iranian attack. Four people were injured at the airport, the emirate’s media office said early Sunday.
