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Dubai airport flights disrupted after nearby drone fire, one killed in Abu Dhabi Dubai, March 16 (AFP) Mar 16, 2026 Missiles and drone attacks hit across the UAE on Monday, with a drone-related incident sparking a fuel tank fire near Dubai airport that disrupted travel, while a missile killed a civilian in Abu Dhabi. In the eastern emirate of Fujairah, a drone attack on oil infrastructure sparked a fire, just one day after an AFP journalist saw smoke rising from a major UAE energy installation in the emirate. The attacks came a day after Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said in an interview that rockets had been launched from the UAE to attack Kharg Island. UAE officials have denied the claim. A Palestinian civilian was killed on the outskirts of the Emirati capital Abu Dhabi when a missile hit their car, the Abu Dhabi Media Office said in a statement. The UAE has reported seven deaths since the war began, including five civilians and two military personnel, who died in a helicopter crash blamed on a technical malfunction. Earlier on Monday, Dubai Airports said flights were gradually resuming at what is usually the world's busiest for international flights, after a "drone-related incident" sparked a fuel tank fire nearby. Dubai airport has been targeted by attacks several times since Iran began its Gulf campaign, as have many airports in the Gulf. Authorities said they had contained a fire that broke out and reported no injuries.
A witness at Dubai airport told AFP that passengers awaiting their flights had been evacuated to a lower floor after the attack for several hours. "It has been a difficult few weeks hearing explosions regularly, but the Iranian attacks followed me in my last hours before I could fly back home," they added. The UAE airline Emirates said it expected to operate a "limited schedule" after 10:00 am Dubai time (0600 GMT) and that some flights had been cancelled. Iran has fired over 1,900 missiles and drones at the United Arab Emirates, more than any other country targeted by Tehran since the start of the Middle East war, upending travel plans in the financial hub despite its air defence intercepting the vast majority of the projectiles. It has taken aim at US assets but also civilian infrastructure, including landmarks, airports, ports and oil facilities around the Gulf, after US-Israeli attacks decimated its leadership. In Fujairah, on the UAE's east coast, a drone attack on oil infrastructure sparked a large fire, authorities said, reporting no injuries, adding that "efforts continue to bring it under control". The site sits on the UAE's Gulf of Oman coast. A pipeline to the eastern emirate allows a large proportion of the country's oil exports to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, which has effectively been closed by Iran. Neighbouring Saudi Arabia's defence ministry also reported intercepting more than 60 drones since midnight on Monday in the east of the country. |
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