On March 22, UAE air defenses intercepted four ballistic missiles and 25 drones launched from Iran. Abu Dhabi authorities confirmed that a debris fall incident occurred in the Al Shawamikh area in Abu Dhabi after the successful interception of a ballistic missile by the UAE air defense system.
A statement from the Abu Dhabi Media Office confirmed that the accident resulted in an Indian citizen being slightly injured. The authorities added that emergency teams responded to the accident site on time after air defense systems dealt with the incoming missile, and its debris fell in a residential area. The concerned authorities in Abu Dhabi responded to a debris incident in the Al Shawamekh area following the success of air defense systems in intercepting a ballistic missile.
“The accident resulted in minor injury to an Indian national,” ADMO said in the X post. She added: “The public is reminded to obtain information from official sources only and avoid spreading rumors or unconfirmed information.”
In times of ongoing regional tensions with Iran, authorities have urged the public to rely only on official and documented sources for updates and avoid sharing any rumors or unverified information.
The Iran-US-Israel war entered its fourth week on Monday, March 23. Since the beginning of the Iranian attacks, UAE air defense systems have engaged 345 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles, and 1,773 drones. The attacks led to the death of two members of the armed forces, along with six Pakistani, Nepalese, Bangladeshi and Palestinian citizens. Moreover, 160 people were infected, including Emirati citizens and foreigners from several 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 killed in an attack on an industrial zone in Oman. However, the UAE authorities were quick to defend the missiles and provide immediate care to the wounded. The UAE Ministry of Defense has consistently stressed that the country remains “fully prepared” to deal with any threats.
The country boasts a well-equipped defense system and maintains a “strong strategic stockpile of munitions, ensuring sustained interception and response capabilities over long periods.”
“The Gulf state has assured India that the safety of Indians living there is its “priority,” the UAE’s ambassador to India, Abdel Nasser Al Shaali, said on Saturday, stressing that they are protected and treated like family. He also praised India’s move to co-sponsor a UN resolution condemning the Iranian attack on the Gulf states, adding that the UAE will remember that India was among “those who stood with us first.”He pointed out that the four million Indians residing in the UAE are “not residents.” He added: “They are the son from Kerala who sends money home every month so his mother can pay her medical bills, the engineer from Hyderabad who builds infrastructure that will last a century, and the teacher from Tamil Nadu who shapes the future of Emirati children.”He added that the safety of Indian citizens living in the country is a “personal responsibility” that the UAE leadership bears every day. “What I would like to say to the Indian families is that the UAE’s commitment to protecting the people who have built their lives here is absolute,” the envoy concluded.
