The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Defence has said that since the start of the current year and the onset of the Iranian conflict, its air defence systems have dealt with 186 ballistic missiles launched toward the country. ALSO READ: RwandAir suspends Middle East flights amid US-Iran escalation “Of these, 172 missiles were destroyed, 13 fell into the sea, and one missile landed on the UAE’s territory. Additionally, 812 Iranian drones were detected. Of these, 755 were intercepted, while 57 fell within the UAE’s territory. Eight cruise missiles were also detected and destroyed,” said Brigadier General Abdul Nasser Al Humaidi, Official Spokesperson of the UAE’s Ministry of Defence, during a media briefing on Wednesday, March 4. He noted that the attacks caused damage, including three fatalities and 68 minor injuries, as well as minor to moderate damage to several civilian properties. ALSO READ: Three US fighter jets mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defences Al Humaidi said the sounds heard in different parts of the country were caused by air defence systems intercepting ballistic missiles and UAE fighter jets confronting drones and cruise missiles. He added that the armed forces remain on high readiness with proactive plans that have enabled an effective and highly efficient military response to various threats. He said there were some repercussions from countering the aerial attacks targeting the UAE but stressed that the injuries and minor damage reported were not the result of attacks successfully reaching their intended targets, but rather a consequence of interception operations. ALSO READ: Rwanda-bound travellers stuck in transit in Middle East “It is well known militarily that when air defences intercept missiles and drones, debris fragments may scatter. Therefore, all injuries and minor damages were not caused by direct strikes on targets within the UAE’s territory but resulted from interception operations conducted with high efficiency and full professionalism, in accordance with approved rules of engagement and operational safety procedures,” he said. Since the outbreak of the conflict between the United States and Israel on one side and Iran on the other on Saturday, February 28, Iran has launched missile and drone attacks across several Arab countries, including the UAE, Qatar, and Bahrain.
