ISTANBUL, March 20 — The United Arab Emirates (UAE) said its air defence forces intercepted four ballistic missiles and 26 drones launched from Iran on Friday.
Anadolu Ajansı reported the UAE Defence Ministry as saying in an X (formerly Twitter) post that this brings the total number of ballistic missiles intercepted since the start of the attacks to 338, and drones to 1,740.
UAE forces also intercepted 15 cruise missiles, with the attacks killing two on-duty armed personnel.
It added that six civilians, including citizens of Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Palestine, were also killed, while 158 others — including citizens of the UAE, Egypt, and Turkiye — were injured.
The ministry expressed the UAE's readiness “to respond to any threats, decisively confronting anything that seeks to undermine the nation’s security, while ensuring the protection of its sovereignty, stability, and national interests.”
Hostilities in the region have escalated since Israel and the United States (US) launched joint attacks on Iran on February 28, killing over 1,300 people, including then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure, while also disrupting global markets and aviation.
