Thursday 05 / March / 2026
ABU DHABI: The UAE Ministry of Defence announced that the country’s air defence systems successfully intercepted three ballistic missiles on March 4, 2026, while detecting 129 drones launched towards the UAE.
According to the ministry, 121 of the drones were intercepted by air defence systems, while eight fell within the territory of the United Arab Emirates.
The ministry said that since the start of what it described as Iranian aggression, a total of 189 ballistic missiles targeting the UAE have been detected. Of these, 175 missiles were destroyed, 13 fell into the sea and one missile landed within the country.
Authorities also reported that 941 Iranian drones have been detected during the same period. Of these, 876 were intercepted while 65 fell inside the UAE. In addition, eight cruise missiles were detected and destroyed.
The attacks caused collateral damage and resulted in three fatalities involving nationals of Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh. A further 78 people sustained minor injuries, including individuals from Emirati, Egyptian, Sudanese, Ethiopian, Filipino, Pakistani, Iranian, Indian, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Azerbaijani, Yemeni, Ugandan, Eritrean, Lebanese and Afghan nationalities.
The ministry said the sounds heard across various parts of the country were due to air defence systems intercepting ballistic missiles and fighter aircraft targeting drones and cruise missiles. These operations caused minor to moderate material damage to several civilian facilities.
The UAE Ministry of Defence strongly condemned the attacks, describing them as a blatant act of aggression and a flagrant violation of national sovereignty and international law.
