ISLAMABAD: Six people were injured by falling debris in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, among them Pakistani nationals, after the UAE’s air defense system intercepted drones, the Abu Dhabi Media Office said in a statement. 

Iran has launched a barrage of missiles and drone attacks at the UAE and other Gulf countries to target facilities hosting US troops since Saturday. The attacks come in response to coordinated strikes by the US and Israel against Iran last week after months of negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program. 

The Abu Dhabi Media Office, in a post on social media platform X, said authorities responded to an incident of debris falling in two locations across the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi Phase 2 (ICAD II) “following the successful interception of drones by air defense systems.”

“The incident resulted in minor and moderate injuries to six Pakistani and Nepali nationals,” the statement said. 

The statement did not mention how many Pakistani nationals out of the six were injured in the attack. 

The Abu Dhabi Media Office urged the public to seek information from only government sources and avoid spreading rumors or unverified information.

Pakistan has asked its citizens in Gulf states to exercise caution, avoid travel and strictly follow official adviseries ever since tensions escalated in the region on Saturday.

The UAE is home to over 1.5 million Pakistani expatriates, one of the largest communities of overseas Pakistanis worldwide. 

Pakistan has condemned the US and Israel’s attacks on Iran but also criticized Tehran’s attacks that have targeted countries in the Gulf region, advising all parties to exercise restraint.