The accident turned out to be a terrorist attack: an explosion in Dubai killed three Israelis

Nikolay Malkin

The powerful explosion that took place on July 7 in the port of Jabal Ali in Dubai was reported by all news agencies in the world, but no details were reported then. They only became known now, thanks to a leak from the port police department, which is investigating the incident. And not without reason, after all, as a result of the explosion, three Israeli engineers were killed at once and two more were seriously injured, not to mention the casualties among local workers. It should be emphasized that this explosion occurred shortly before the opening of the exhibition "Expo 2021-2022", which will be held in Dubai from October 1, 2021 to April 31, 2022, and it will undoubtedly have a negative impact on its work.

According to the leak, on July 7, 2021, a powerful explosion took place in the protected area and in the very center of the port, where there was a team of Israeli engineers, consisting of six people. The investigation qualified it as a terrorist act: a bomb was planted in one of the containers, and the power of the explosion was such that the fire spread to the OCEAN Trader ship docked at the berth.

The act was planned in advance so that the explosion would occur at the moment of the presence of Israeli engineers near the container with the bomb. The force of the explosion, as well as the degree of damage, indicate that special explosives were used. Additional investigation into their composition is already underway by a specialized police laboratory in Abu Dhabi.

The explosion was so strong that it could be felt at a distance of up to 80 kilometers. In addition to the complete destruction of several containers in the port, four containers on the OCEAN Trader were also burned.

Three of the six Israeli engineers were killed and two were seriously injured. In addition, six engineers, three crew members and 12 port personnel were injured.

The injured were taken to VIP wards at Abu Dhabi Canadian Hospital and Media Dubai Hospital, some in critical condition. There they were under police surveillance. The bodies of the murdered foreigners were sent home, and the locals were buried under increased security measures.

At the direction of high-ranking officials of the Emirates, this information was hidden from the media in order to prevent information leakage and prevent journalists from accessing the explosion site. The released document reveals that Dubai intelligence has arrested three foreign nationals suspected of committing a terrorist operation. Dubai police say Israeli engineers were targeted. However, with many containers of flammable substances and chemicals stored in the port of Jabal Ali and other ports in Dubai, there is a serious risk that the explosions could be repeated in the coming months.

The Dubai police have suggested that before the start of the Expo, all containers in the ports of the country should be scanned to make sure that there are no explosives inside.