'Take shelter now': Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait issue emergency alerts amid regional crisis
Dubai: Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait activated emergency security measures early on Friday following reports of missile and drone attacks linked to rising tensions in the Gulf.
Bahrain's Interior Ministry activated warning sirens and instructed residents to immediately move to the nearest safe location. In neighbouring Qatar, authorities issued a public safety alert advising people to remain indoors and stay in secure places, warning that the security threat level was elevated.
In Kuwait, warning sirens were also heard across parts of the country. The Interior Ministry urged residents to seek shelter and follow official guidance, while the Kuwaiti army later confirmed that its air defence systems were responding to hostile missile and drone attacks. No further operational details were immediately released.
The developments followed a statement by the Iranian military claiming it had launched drone strikes targeting a US military base in Bahrain. Separately, multiple explosions were reported in Qatar's capital, Doha. Witnesses and journalists on the ground said several loud blasts were heard, although officials did not immediately confirm their cause.
The latest security alerts come amid renewed instability in the Middle East. The region has remained tense since a joint US-Israeli offensive against Iran earlier this year, followed by Iranian missile and drone strikes targeting Gulf countries hosting US military assets.
Although Iran and the United States reportedly reached a Pakistan-mediated framework agreement last month aimed at reducing hostilities and working towards a long-term peace deal, tensions have intensified again in recent days, particularly around the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
Authorities in Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait have urged residents to rely only on official government updates and to follow emergency instructions as the security situation continues to develop.
(With ANI inputs)