Ugandan among injured in Iran strikes on UAE

A Ugandan national is among dozens of people injured in Iran’s retaliatory attacks on the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the UAE ministry of Defence has said.

The strikes come amid escalating tensions in the Middle East. On Sunday, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps intensified drone and missile attacks targeting United States military bases across the region.

According to the UAE ministry of Defence, the country’s Air Force and Air Defence units had intercepted 165 ballistic missiles, two cruise missiles and 541 Iranian drones since the start of the attacks.

On Sunday alone, the ministry said, 20 ballistic missiles were destroyed by air defence systems, while eight fell into the sea. Two cruise missiles and 311 drones were also intercepted.

Despite the interceptions, 21 drones reportedly struck civilian targets. Of the 541 drones detected, 506 were destroyed mid-air, while 35 fell within the country, causing material damage.

“The incidents resulted in three fatalities of Pakistani, Nepali, and Bangladeshi nationalities,” the statement said.

The ministry added that 58 people sustained minor injuries, including a Ugandan national and others from Egypt, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Pakistan, Iran, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan, Yemen and Eritrea.

The identities of the injured were not disclosed. Officials said debris from intercepted missiles and drones fell in various areas, leading to minor to moderate damage to civilian property. Hotels, airports and residential buildings were among the structures affected.

With air travel disrupted, the UAE government has directed hotels in Abu Dhabi to extend accommodation for stranded guests, with the associated costs to be covered by the Department of Culture and Tourism.

Ugandan nationals are among those stranded in UAE hotels following the suspension of flights. In a statement issued over the weekend, the permanent secretary in Uganda’s ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vincent Bagiire, said government is monitoring the situation in the Middle East with concern and advised Ugandans to suspend travel to the affected countries until further notice.

Bagiire also urged Ugandans residing in Iran to take precautionary measures and consider leaving if possible. He confirmed that non-essential staff have been withdrawn from Uganda’s embassy in Tehran and that consular services are currently limited due to the prevailing security situation.