Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday spoke to Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as Iran’s retaliatory missile and drone campaign battered parts of the Gulf, killing civilians and striking key infrastructure across the region.In a message posted on X, PM Modi said: “Spoke with President of the UAE, my brother Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Strongly condemned the attacks on the UAE and condoled the loss of lives in these attacks. India stands in solidarity with the UAE in these difficult times. Thanked him for taking care of the Indian community living in the UAE. We support de-escalation, regional peace, security and stability.”The Prime Minister’s remarks came as Emirati authorities confirmed that four people had been killed and dozens wounded since Iran began its counterstrikes following US and Israeli operations that eliminated Tehran’s supreme leader and other senior officials. Explosions were heard for a second day in cities including Dubai and Abu Dhabi, with Gulf states scrambling to intercept missiles and drones.The UAE’s defence ministry said it had detected 165 ballistic missiles since Saturday, destroying 152 of them, while intercepting two cruise missiles. Of 541 Iranian drones launched, 506 were shot down. Despite the high interception rate, debris from downed projectiles caused casualties and damage. Three foreign nationals — from Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh — were reported among those killed in the UAE. Two people were injured when debris struck a building complex in Abu Dhabi that houses foreign missions.Civilian infrastructure across the Gulf has been affected, including airports, seaports and residential buildings. Fires were reported at prominent sites in Dubai, while airports in the UAE and Kuwait were also hit. In Bahrain, drones caused minor damage at the capital’s airport.
