NEW DELHI: Mourners in the northern state of Punjab on Saturday attended the funerals of Indian nationals killed in a recent attack by Houthi rebels on the UAE.
Two Indians and a Pakistani were killed when the drone and missile strikes hit fuel trucks near the Abu Dhabi airport on Monday, causing multiple explosions. Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed the attacks.
The remains of Hardeep Singh, 22, and Hardev Singh, 34, were repatriated to India on Friday.
Bodies of the two Indians who lost their lives in the Abu Dhabi fire incident on January 17 reach Amritsar, Punjab pic.twitter.com/qatXcm6IZi
— ANI (@ANI) January 21, 2022
Hardeep, who came from Baba Bakala village in Amritsar district, is survived by his wife and mother.
"We are still not able to fathom the tragedy that took place in the family," his cousin, Rajbir Singh, told Arab News.
The collage of photos shows Indian nationals Hardeep Singh, left, and Hardev Singh who were killed in the Houthi attack on Jan. 17. (Photo courtesy: Sukhdev Singh and Rajbir Singh)
"The wife came back from Canada yesterday, after she learnt about the incident. She is a student there and Hardeep had plan to shift to Canada."
Hardeep was working in the UAE as a truck driver. He married last year and was his family's sole breadwinner.
The other victim, Hardev, came from Bagha Purana village in Moga district. He spent 18 years in the UAE, working on construction sites in the oil and gas industry.
Hardev's brother, Sukhdev Singh, who also works in the UAE, said he could not believe his brother was gone until he saw the body.
"It's difficult to foresee an existence without him," Sukhdev told Arab News.
"He was a great support to me and because of Hardev I could go to UAE," he said. "He was the main earner and support to the elderly parents."
Sukhdev thanked the UAE government for the support it has provided to the family so far.
Indian authorities have condemned the Houthi attack on the UAE.
Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Tuesday expressed "strong solidarity with UAE in face of such unacceptable acts" during a call with his Emirati counterpart.
T.S. Tirumurti, India's permanent representative to the United Nations, told the UN Security Council on Wednesday that "such an attack on innocent civilians and civilian infrastructure is completely unacceptable."
“It is a blatant violation of international law. It is also against all civilized norms," he said. "It is important that the council stands united in sending a clear signal against such heinous acts of terror."
