Kamal Ghorui
On March 22, UAE air defences engaged four ballistic missiles and 25 UAVs launched from Iran. Abu Dhabi authorities confirmed a debris-fall incident in the Al Shawamekh area of Abu Dhabi following the successful interception of a ballistic missile by the UAE’s air defence system. The incident led to an Indian national suffering a minor injury, confirmed a statement by the Abu Dhabi Media Office. Authorities shared that emergency teams responded to the scene on time after the air defence systems dealt with the incoming missile, with debris landing in a residential area. “Relevant authorities in Abu Dhabi have responded to an incident involving debris falling in the Al Shawamekh area following the successful interception of a ballistic missile by air defence systems. The incident resulted in a minor injury to an Indian national,” said the ADMO in an X post. “The public is reminded to obtain information from official sources only and avoid spreading rumours or unverified information,” it added.In times of ongoing regional tensions with Iran, authorities have urged the public to rely only on official and verified sources for updates and avoid sharing any rumours or unverified information. The Iran-US-Israel war has entered its fourth week on Monday, March 23. Since the beginning of the Iran attacks, UAE air defence systems have engaged 345 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles and 1773 UAVs. The attacks led to the loss of two members of the armed forces, along with six Pakistani, Nepalese, Bangladeshi and Palestinian nationals. Moreover, 160 people have been left injured including Emiratis and foreign nationals from numerous countries. So far, six Indian nationals have lost their lives in the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, with Saudi Arabia reporting its first Indian casualty last week and two Indians being killed in an attack on an industrial area in Oman. However, the UAE authorities have been prompt in defending missiles and providing immediate care to the injured. The UAE Ministry of Defence has constantly maintained that the country remains “fully prepared” to deal with any threats. The country boasts a well-equipped defence system and maintains a “robust strategic stockpile of munitions, ensuring sustained interception and response capabilities over extended periods.“UAE’s ambassador to India, Abdulnasser Alshaali, said on Saturday that the Gulf nation has assured India that the safety of Indians living there is its “priority”, stressing that they are protected and treated like family. He also commended India’s move to co-sponsor a UN resolution condemning Iran’s attack on Gulf countries, adding that UAE will remember that India was among those “who stood with us first.”He noted that the four million Indians residing in UAE are “not a static.” “They are the son from Kerala sending money home each month so his mother can pay her medical bills, the engineer from Hyderabad building infrastructure that will stand for a century, the teacher from Tamil Nadu shaping the futures of Emirati children,” he added.He added that the safety of the Indian nationals living in the country is a “personal responsibility” that the UAE’s leadership carries every day. “What I would say to Indian families is this: the UAE’s commitment to protecting the people who have built their lives here is absolute,” concluded the envoy.
