Debris from a downed drone injured six in Abu Dhabi, while missile attacks targeted Doha, Dubai and Manama as Iran’s retaliation campaign continues.
ABU DHABI: Six people were injured by falling drone debris in the Emirati capital on Thursday. The incident occurred in the ICAD 2 industrial zone after air defences intercepted the unmanned aircraft.
“The incident resulted in six minor to moderate injuries to Pakistani and Nepalese nationals,” Abu Dhabi’s media office stated. This attack was part of a broader wave of strikes across the Gulf region.
In Doha, loud blasts were heard and a plume of smoke was seen rising from the Qatari capital. Qatar’s defence ministry confirmed its military was working to intercept an incoming missile.
Earlier, Qatari authorities evacuated residents living near the US embassy in Doha. Explosions were also reported by residents in Dubai and Manama throughout the day.
The fresh salvos followed a tense call between Qatari premier Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. It was the first high-level contact between Tehran and a Gulf leader since the attacks began.
The Qatari premier accused Iran of seeking to “harm its neighbours and drag them into a war that is not theirs,” according to a statement from Qatar’s foreign ministry. The unprecedented attacks by Iran have now entered their sixth day.
The campaign is a retaliation for US-Israeli air strikes that devastated Iran’s leadership. At least 13 people have been killed in the Gulf, including seven civilians, since the attacks began on Saturday.
Washington confirmed six US servicemen were killed, including four in Kuwait. In neighbouring Saudi Arabia, officials said they had intercepted three cruise missiles and several drones.
“Three cruise missiles were intercepted and destroyed outside the city of Al-Kharj,” the Saudi defence ministry posted on social media platform X. The regional conflict also spilled into maritime routes.
A tanker was hit by a “large explosion” in waters off Kuwait, causing an oil spill, the British maritime security agency UKMTO reported. Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards claimed they had “complete control” of the Strait of Hormuz.
The strait is a crucial chokepoint connecting the Gulf to the Indian Ocean. It is one of the world’s most vital shipping routes for global energy supplies.
The Sun Malaysia
