At least one Nigerian has been reported among dozens injured after Iranian ballistic missiles were intercepted in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), amid rising tensions in the Middle East.
Authorities in the Gulf nation said their air defence systems have been responding to retaliatory missile attacks launched by Iran since the conflict began on February 28.
In a statement on Tuesday, the UAE Ministry of Defence said its air defence units had detected a total of 262 ballistic missiles fired from Iran since the start of hostilities.
According to the ministry, 241 missiles were successfully intercepted, while 19 fell into the sea. However, two missiles landed within the UAE’s territory, causing casualties and injuries.
“These attacks resulted in six deaths of Emirati, Pakistani, Nepalese and Bangladeshi nationalities, and 122 cases of minor and moderate injuries of Emirati, Egyptian, Sudanese, Ethiopian, Filipino, Pakistani, Iranian, Indian, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Azerbaijani, Yemeni, Ugandan, Eritrean, Lebanese, Afghan, Bahraini, Comorian, Turkish, Iraqi, Nepalese, Nigerian, Omani, Jordanian and Palestinian nationalities,” the ministry said.
Officials did not provide a breakdown of the number of injured persons from each country.
The incident comes as the UAE continues to repel missile and drone attacks from Iran, which are reportedly retaliatory strikes over allegations that the Gulf country allowed the United States to launch attacks from American military bases located in the UAE.
On Wednesday, the UAE defence ministry said its forces were intercepting additional missiles and drones fired by Iran, adding that the country “remains fully prepared to counter any threats and protect its national interests.”
Meanwhile, Nigerians stranded across several Gulf countries have appealed to the Federal Government to prepare repatriation flights in case the security situation deteriorates further.
It remains unclear how many Nigerians are currently trapped in Iran or other Middle Eastern countries affected by the ongoing conflict. Countries such as Qatar, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia remain popular travel, work, and transit destinations for Nigerian citizens.
