Indian national among two killed in Iranian missile attack in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi: Two people, including an Indian national, were killed in a missile attack launched by Iran in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi, authorities said on Thursday. The second victim was a Pakistani national.

According to the UAE Ministry of Defence, three others were injured in the incident, including one Indian. The remaining injured are nationals of the UAE and Jordan.

The attack occurred in the Sweihan area of Abu Dhabi. Officials said a ballistic missile fired by Iran was intercepted by UAE air defence systems, but debris from the destroyed missile fell on the ground, causing the fatalities and injuries. Several vehicles were also damaged in the incident.

With this, the total number of deaths in Iran-linked attacks in the UAE has risen to 11, including three military personnel, authorities confirmed.

Earlier in the day, the UAE Ministry of Interior had issued a warning about a possible missile attack attempt and urged residents to remain vigilant.

The UAE strongly condemned what it described as unilateral attacks by Iran. In a joint statement, five Gulf countries along with Jordan called for an immediate halt to the strikes.

The statement was issued by United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, condemning the escalation and warning that such actions threaten regional stability. It also alleged attempts by Iranian sleeper cells to destabilise countries in the region.

Authorities said there were also attempted attacks from Iran targeting the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait earlier in the day.