Abu Dhabi, March 9 The UAE's Ministry of Defence said on Monday that its air defences detected 15 ballistic missiles, of which 12 were destroyed, while three fell into the sea.
According to the statement released by UAE's Ministry of Defence amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia, 18 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) were detected, of which 17 were intercepted while one fell within the country's territory.
"Since the start of the Iranian attacks, 253 ballistic missiles have been detected. Of these, 233 were destroyed, 18 fell into the sea, and 2 landed within the country. A total of 1,440 Iranian UAVs have also been detected, of which 1,359 were intercepted, while 81 fell within the country’s territory. 8 cruise missiles were also detected and destroyed," read the statement.
"These attacks resulted in four deaths among Pakistani, Nepalese and Bangladeshi nationals, and 117 people sustained minor injuries. The injured include nationals of the UAE, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Pakistan, Iran, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan, Yemen, Uganda, Eritrea, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Bahrain, the Comoros, Turkey, Iraq, Nepal, Nigeria, Oman, Jordan and Palestine," it added.
The UAE's Ministry of Defence expressed its readiness to deal with any threats and will respond firmly to any attempts to undermine the country’s security, ensuring the protection of its sovereignty, security and stability, and protecting its national interests and capabilities.
The ongoing conflict in West Asia began after the joint US-Israel strikes on Iran on February 28, which led to Iran launching drone and missile attacks targetting US assets, regional capitals and allied forces in West Asia.
On Saturday, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said that UAE places its security and the protection of all its people and visitors at the top of its priorities and expressed country's readiness to tackle any threats.
In a statement shared on X, he stated, "To all those who call the UAE home and guests in our beloved nation. The UAE places its security and the protection of all citizens, residents, and visitors at the very top of its priorities. With God’s grace, the UAE is fully prepared to confront these threats."
He praised UAE's armed forces, security services and all national institutions and teams working to keep the country safe. He also lauded the awareness shown by the people of the UAE.
The UAE President added: "I would also like to underscore my sincere gratitude for the awareness shown by our community of Emiratis and our resident brothers and sisters, partners in this nation, who have expressed their genuine love and loyalty to the UAE through both words and actions. In the UAE, everyone is Emirati through their love for this land and their contributions to it.
"May God have mercy on the victims and grant the injured a speedy recovery. With God's blessing, the UAE -- the land of Zayed -- will remain strong in its unity, steadfast in defending its sovereignty, and steadily advancing towards the future," he said.
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