UAE says it intercepted 15 missiles, 148 drones from Iran

ISTANBUL

The United Arab Emirates said its air defenses had intercepted 15 missiles and 148 drones launched from Iran on Monday, bringing the total number of interceptions to 174 missiles and 689 drones since Saturday.

In a statement, the UAE Defense Ministry said that the intercepted projectiles on Monday included nine ballistic missiles, six cruise missiles, and 148 drones.

It added that 174 ballistic missiles were detected launched from Iran since Saturday, of which 161 were intercepted, while 13 others fell into the sea.

The ministry said 689 Iranian drones were also detected, with 645 intercepted, while 44 fell within the country’s territory. Eight cruise missiles were also detected and destroyed, it added.

“Three people were killed and 68 others sustained minor injuries” in the attacks, the ministry said.

The UAE denounced the Iranian attacks as “a blatant act of aggression” and “a flagrant violation of national sovereignty and international law.”

The US and Israel launched a large-scale attack on Iran on Saturday, killing several top Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and top military officials.

In response, Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel as well as Gulf countries which are home to US assets.

*Writing by Rania Abushamala.