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A Nigerian national is believed to be among more than 100 people injured following missile interceptions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) following rising tensions in the Middle East.
UAE authorities say their air defence systems have been responding to a series of ballistic missiles launched from Iran since the conflict escalated on February 28.
The UAE Ministry of Defence, in a statement on Tuesday, claimed that since the beginning of hostilities, its air defence units had detected 262 ballistic missiles fired from Iran.
According to the ministry, 241 of the missiles were intercepted, while 19 reportedly fell into the sea.
Officials also stated that two missiles landed within UAE territory, resulting in 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 in the statement.
Authorities did not provide a country-by-country breakdown of the injured individuals.
The incident comes as the UAE says it continues to intercept missiles and drones targeting the country. Officials in the Gulf nation have linked the attacks to ongoing regional tensions involving Iran and the United States.
On Wednesday, the UAE Ministry of Defence said its forces were again responding to additional missiles and drones, adding that the country remained prepared to address potential security threats.
Meanwhile, some Nigerians living across parts of the Gulf have called on the Nigerian government to consider preparing repatriation arrangements should the security situation worsen.
The number of Nigerians living in Iran or other conflict-affected regions is unknown. Countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar remain popular destinations for Nigerian workers, tourists, and transit passengers.
