UAE intercepts 3 ballistic missiles, 121 drones

The UAE air defences have successfully intercepted 3 ballistic missiles and detected 129 drones, of which 121 were intercepted and 8 fell within the country's territory on Wednesday.

Since the start of the Iranian attack, 189 ballistic missiles were detected, with 175 of them destroyed, while 13 fell into the sea and one fell within the country's territory. Additionally, 941 Iranian drones were detected, and 876 were intercepted, while 65 fell within the country's territory.

Furthermore, 8 cruise missiles were detected and destroyed, causing some collateral damage.

Among the 3 fatalities were Pakistani, Nepalese and Bangladeshi nationals. Of the 68 injured were nationals of the UAE, Egypt, Ethiopia, Philippines, Pakistan, Iran, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan, Yemen, Uganda, Eritrea Lebanon and Afghanistan.

The ministry affirmed that the sounds heard across the country are due to the interception of missiles and drones by the UAE defence forces, adding that debris caused minor to moderate material damage in a number of civilian facilities.

The ministry confirmed it is on high alert and fully prepared to deal with any threats, while strongly condemning the attacks as "a blatant act of aggression and a flagrant violation of national sovereignty and international law".

It added that the safety of citizens, residents, and visitors represents the utmost priority that cannot be compromised, and reserves the right to respond to this escalation.

The ministry urged the public to obtain information from official sources in the country and to avoid circulating unverified information.