Dubai: In an official statement issued on May 8, the UAE Ministry of Defence confirmed that the latest aerial threats were successfully engaged before causing major damage, reaffirming the country’s preparedness to counter any security threat.

According to the ministry, since the onset of what it described as “blatant Iranian attacks,” UAE air defence systems have intercepted a total of 551 ballistic missiles, 29 cruise missiles, and 2,263 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

The ministry stated that the recent attacks resulted in moderate injuries to three individuals, raising the total number of injuries recorded since the escalation began to 230 people of various nationalities.

Authorities also confirmed that no fatalities or martyrs were reported in the past few hours. However, the cumulative death toll since the beginning of the attacks has reached two martyrs, in addition to the death of a Moroccan civilian contractor working with the Armed Forces. Total civilian fatalities currently stand at 10 individuals from different nationalities.

“The Ministry of Defence affirmed that it remains fully prepared and ready to deal with any threats and will firmly confront anything that aims to undermine the security of the country, in a manner that ensures the protection of its sovereignty, security and stability and safeguards its interests and national capabilities,” the statement said.