Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
No fewer than 141 people, including a Nigerian national, have been injured following a wave of missile linked to escalating hostilities between Iran and countries in the Gulf region, according to officials.
Authorities said the projectiles were launched from Iran and targeted the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as tensions in the Middle East continue to rise.
Air defence systems in the Gulf state reportedly intercepted several of the incoming threats, though casualties were still recorded.
In a statement released on its official platform, the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Defence said its air defence units engaged nine ballistic missiles and 33 unmanned aerial vehicles during the latest round of attacks on March 14.
The ministry added that the incident forms part of a wider pattern of hostilities that have intensified in recent days.
Since the start of what officials described as Iranian aggression, defence systems have reportedly intercepted 294 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles and about 1,600 drones launched toward the country.
Authorities confirmed that six people were killed in the attacks. The victims include nationals from the UAE, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh.
The injured, numbering 141, were said to be residents and workers from several countries, among them Nigeria, Egypt, Sudan, India, the Philippines and Sweden.
Meanwhile, regional tensions escalated further after a missile struck within the compound of the United States Embassy in Baghdad located inside Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone.
Security officials said the projectile landed near a helipad and damaged part of the embassy’s defence infrastructure.
Following the incident, the United States Department of State renewed its highest travel warning for Iraq, urging American citizens to leave the country immediately.
The warning cited threats posed by Iran-aligned armed groups that may continue targeting U.S. interests in the region.
