Iranian Missiles Injure Nigerian, 121 Others in UAE

Iranian Missiles Injure Nigerian, 121 Others in UAE

At least one Nigerian has been injured after ballistic missiles fired from Iran struck parts of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as tensions continue to escalate in the Middle East.

Authorities in the Gulf nation said their air defence systems have been responding to retaliatory missile attacks launched by Iran since hostilities began on February 28.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the UAE Ministry of Defence disclosed that its air defence units had detected 262 ballistic missiles fired from Iran since the conflict began.

According to the ministry, 241 of the missiles were successfully intercepted, while 19 fell into the sea before reaching land.

However, two missiles landed within the UAE, resulting in casualties and injuries among residents of several nationalities.

The ministry said the attacks caused the deaths of six people of different nationalities and left 122 others with minor and moderate injuries, including at least one Nigerian.

“These attacks resulted in six deaths of Emirati, Pakistani, Nepalese and Bangladeshi nationalities, and 122 cases of minor and moderate injuries of Emirati, Egyptian, Sudanese, Ethiopian, Filipino, Pakistani, Iranian, Indian, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Azerbaijani, Yemeni, Ugandan, Eritrean, Lebanese, Afghan, Bahraini, Comorian, Turkish, Iraqi, Nepalese, Nigerian, Omani, Jordanian and Palestinian nationalities,” the ministry stated.

Officials did not provide a breakdown of the number of injured persons from each country.

The latest incident comes as the UAE continues to repel missile and drone attacks from Iran, which it says are retaliatory strikes linked to allegations that the Gulf state allowed the United States to launch operations from American military bases located in the UAE.

On Wednesday, the UAE defence ministry said its forces were intercepting additional missiles and drones fired by Iran, adding that the country remained prepared to counter any threats and safeguard its national security.

Meanwhile, Nigerians living across the Gulf region have urged the Nigeria government to consider evacuation arrangements if the security situation deteriorates further.

It remains unclear how many Nigerian citizens are currently in Iran or in other Middle Eastern countries affected by the ongoing hostilities.

Countries such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar are popular destinations for Nigerians seeking employment, business opportunities and international travel connections.