At least one Nigerian has been identified among dozens of persons affected by the interception of Iranian ballistic missiles in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The UAE has been fending off retaliatory attacks from Iran
over its alleged role in allowing the US launch strikes from American military
bases in the Gulf country.
In a statement on Tuesday, the UAE said its air defences
have detected 262 ballistic missiles from Iran since the war began on February
28.
Of the 262 missiles, 241 were destroyed, while 19 fell into
the sea, and two fell on the country’s territory, the UAE defence ministry
said.
“These attacks resulted in 6 deaths of Emirati, Pakistani,
Nepalese, and Bangladeshi nationalities, and 122 cases of minor and moderate
injuries of Emirati, Egyptian, Sudanese, Ethiopian, Filipino, Pakistani,
Iranian, Indian, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Azerbaijani, Yemeni, Ugandan,
Eritrean, Lebanese, Afghan, Bahraini, Comorian, Turkish, Iraqi, Nepalese,
Nigerian, Omani, Jordanian, and Palestinian nationalities,” the ministry said.
The ministry did not specify the number of nationalities
affected per country.
On Wednesday, the defence minister said it was intercepting
additional missiles and drones from Iran.
The UAE affirmed its readiness to deal with any threats and
to protect its interests.
Meanwhile, stranded Nigerians in the Gulf countries have
called on the federal government to ready repatriation flights for their
evacuation.
It is unclear how many Nigerians are stuck in Iran or other
Middle East countries affected by the ongoing conflict.
Qatar, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia are popular tourist and
transit destinations for Nigerians.
Abike Dabiri-Erewa, chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora
Commission (NIDCOM), said Nigeria will begin repatriating its citizens stranded
in the Middle East once “the airspace opens”.
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