Missile debris kills Pakistani national in Abu Dhabi: govt

Falling shrapnel from an intercepted missile killed a Pakistani national in Abu Dhabi, the government media office said Tuesday.

The incident occurred in the Baniyas area "following the interception of a ballistic missile by air defenses," the Abu Dhabi Media Office added. Authorities urged the public to rely only on official sources and avoid circulating rumors or unverified reports.

The UAE Defense Ministry said on Monday that its air defense systems had intercepted six ballistic missiles and 21 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) launched from Iran. Since the start of what it described as blatant Iranian aggression, UAE air defenses have engaged a total of 304 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles, and 1,627 UAVs.

The ministry added that these attacks have already resulted in the deaths of two armed forces personnel performing their national duties, as well as five foreign nationals from Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Palestine. The latest fatality now raises the civilian toll to six, bringing total casualties to eight.

In addition, the ministry reported that 145 people have been injured, with conditions ranging from minor to severe. The injured include nationals from the UAE, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Iran, Azerbaijan, Yemen, Uganda, Eritrea, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Comoros, Türkiye, Iraq, Nepal, Nigeria, Oman, Jordan, Palestine, Ghana, Indonesia, and Sweden.

The attacks are part of a broader escalation following the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, which intensified on Feb. 28. Gulf Arab states, including the UAE, have faced more than 2,000 missile and drone attacks targeting U.S. diplomatic missions, military bases, oil infrastructure, ports, airports and residential and commercial buildings.

The repeated attacks have put civilian populations at risk and disrupted commercial and energy activities across the region.