By Paul Joseph
At least one Nigerian national has been reported injured after Iran launched another wave of missile attacks toward the United Arab Emirates, authorities said, as tensions continue to escalate across the Middle East.
Officials in the Gulf state said their air defence systems have been actively intercepting ballistic missiles fired by Iran since the conflict began on 28 February.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the UAE’s Ministry of Defence said its air defence units had detected a total of 262 ballistic missiles launched from Iran since hostilities started.
According to the ministry, 241 of the missiles were successfully intercepted before reaching their targets, while 19 fell into the sea.
However, two of the missiles landed within UAE territory, resulting in casualties and injuries.
Authorities said the attacks led to the deaths of six people of various nationalities, including Emirati, Pakistani, Nepalese and Bangladeshi citizens.
In addition, 122 people sustained minor to moderate injuries. The injured included nationals from several countries such as Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan, Yemen, Uganda, Eritrea, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Comoros, Turkey, Iraq, Jordan, Palestine and Nigeria.
Officials did not specify how many individuals from each country were injured.
Rising tensions in the region
The missile strikes are part of an ongoing exchange between Iran and several countries in the region following accusations that the UAE allowed the United States to use military bases on its territory to launch attacks on Iranian targets.
Iran has described the missile and drone launches as retaliatory actions.
On Wednesday, the UAE Ministry of Defence said its forces were again intercepting incoming missiles and drones, adding that the country remained fully prepared to respond to any security threats.
Nigerians call for evacuation plans
Meanwhile, some Nigerian citizens living across Gulf countries have appealed to the Federal Government of Nigeria to prepare evacuation arrangements should the security situation worsen.
Many Nigerians reside and work in Middle Eastern countries such as the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, which are major destinations for employment, travel and transit.
However, it remains unclear how many Nigerian nationals are currently stranded in Iran or other parts of the region affected by the ongoing conflict.
The renewed attacks have heightened fears of further escalation in the Middle East, raising concerns for foreign nationals living and working across the region.
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