At least one Nigerian has been identified among dozens of people injured following the interception of Iranian ballistic missiles in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
UAE authorities said their air defense 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 revealed that its air defense 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 landed in the sea. However, two missiles fell within UAE territory, resulting in casualties and injuries.
“These attacks resulted in six deaths among Emirati, Pakistani, Nepalese, and Bangladeshi nationals, and 122 cases of minor and moderate injuries affecting people from 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 stated.
Officials did not provide a country by country breakdown of the injured.
The latest 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 in UAE.
On Wednesday, the UAE defence ministry said its forces were intercepting additional missiles and drones, emphasizing 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 of Nigeria to prepare repatriation flights should the security situation deteriorate 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 destinations for Nigerians for travel, work, and transit.
