KUALA LUMPUR, March 1 — “Every time we hear the sound of missiles flying overhead, the children run to hug me,” shared a Malaysian living in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), a country also affected by the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran.
“It was a long day for us yesterday (Feb 28). The continuous passage of missiles for about 12 hours, starting around 1 pm, was extremely nerve-wracking,” said Nur Hamiza Ahmad, 38, who has been in the country for the past two years following her husband’s posting there.
“The children were terrified… they couldn’t sleep because of the tremors… occasionally crying while covering their ears. They didn’t want to sleep in their own rooms. We slept hugging each other through the series of missile explosions last night,” the mother of three told Bernama when contacted on Sunday.
However, Nur Hamiza said her two school-aged children, aged nine and seven respectively, tried to understand what was happening by reading and watching news related to the conflict together.
She said that schools in the country will conduct online classes for three days starting March 2 as a precautionary measure following security developments in the Middle East region.
The UAE Air Force and Air Defence forces have successfully intercepted and destroyed 137 ballistic missiles and 209 drones launched towards the country’s territory since the start of the Iranian attacks, according to its Ministry of Defence.
The Ministry stated that of the 137 Iranian ballistic missiles detected heading towards the UAE since the beginning of the attacks, 132 were successfully intercepted and destroyed, while five others landed in the sea.
A total of 209 Iranian drones were also detected; 195 were intercepted, while 14 fell within the country’s territory and waters, causing minor collateral damage.
It stated that, as a result of the effective interception of the missiles and drones, some debris fell in separate areas across the country, leading to minor material damage to several public facilities.
According to Nur Hamiza, she and fellow Malaysians have made preparations in case evacuation becomes necessary, such as placing important personal documents in a bag and keeping it near the main door of their homes.
Asked to describe the atmosphere at her residence in Khalifa City, located less than 20 kilometres from Zayed International Airport, Nur Hamiza said, “The roads are deserted.”
“Everyone is following the authorities’ instructions to avoid open areas for fear of being hit by missile debris,” she added.
She said they are still able to purchase daily necessities at nearby supermarkets or online, and there is no sign of ‘panic buying’.
“We are still able to withdraw money from ATMs,” she said, expressing hope that this war will end soon.
Abu Dhabi Airports announced on Sunday that an incident occurred at Zayed International Airport, resulting in one fatality and seven injuries.
In a post on the social media platform X, the airport operator confirmed that the victim who died was an Asian national, while those injured received medical assistance.
“The public is advised to avoid spreading rumours and to refer only to official sources. Updates will be provided,” according to Abu Dhabi Airports.
On Saturday, Iran’s military launched attacks on four US military sites in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and the UAE in retaliation for the joint US-Israel strikes across Iran.
The targets included Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE, and the US naval fleet in Bahrain.
US and Israel began launching attacks on several sites across Iran on the same day, including in the capital Tehran, as tensions between the countries escalated into open conflict.
Waves of missiles were also launched by Iranian forces towards Israel. — Bernama
Malay Mail – Malaysia
