Abu Dhabi [UAE], March 8 (ANI): The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Defence on Sunday reported the successful interception of a large number of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles launched from Iran amid the ongoing conflict in the region.
According to the ministry, UAE air defenses detected 17 ballistic missiles, successfully destroying 16, while one fell into the sea.
At the same time, 117 UAVs were detected, of which 113 were intercepted and four fell within the country’s territory.
Since the start of Iranian retaliatory attacks following the outbreak of the conflict triggered by a joint U.S.-Israel operation that killed the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on February 28, UAE air defenses have detected a total of 238 ballistic missiles. Of these, 221 were intercepted, while 15 fell into the sea and two impacted the country.
A total of 1,422 Iranian UAVs have been detected, of which 1,342 were intercepted and 80 impacted UAE territory. In addition, eight cruise missiles were detected and successfully destroyed.
The ministry also said the ongoing strikes have resulted in four deaths among Pakistani, Nepalese, and Bangladeshi nationals, while 112 people sustained moderate to minor injuries.
The injured include nationals from the UAE, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Pakistan, Iran, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan, Yemen, Uganda, Eritrea, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Bahrain, the Comoros, and Türkiye.
The Ministry of Defence reaffirmed its readiness to address any threats and vowed to respond firmly to attempts to undermine national security. It emphasized that all measures are in place to ensure the protection of the UAE’s sovereignty, stability, and national interests.
The development comes amid escalating tensions in West Asia following the death of the 86-year-old Khamenei, who was killed in joint military strikes by the U.S. and Israel on Iran on February 28. The strikes also killed several senior leaders of the Islamic Republic.
Following the attack, Tehran launched retaliatory strikes targeting American military bases and Israeli assets across the region, including in multiple Arab countries. Israel, along with the U.S., has continued its strikes on Tehran, with Tel Aviv expanding the conflict to Lebanon by targeting Hezbollah and Iranian-backed militant groups. (ANI)
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