Dubai International Airport has temporarily suspended operations, the Dubai government's media office said on its social media account X.
“The Dubai Civil Aviation Authority announces the temporary suspension of flights at Dubai International Airport as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of all passengers and staff,“ the statement said.
Earlier Monday evening, a fuel tank caught fire as a result of a drone incident near the airport. No injuries were reported.
„A fuel tank was damaged in an incident with a drone near Dubai International Airport (DXB). Dubai Civil Defence teams are currently working to bring the fire under control“, the statement said.
At 3:10 a.m. Bulgarian time, Dubai Civil Defence units successfully brought the fire under control. „There are no reports of casualties“, the press service specified.
On March 13, explosions and smoke were observed in downtown Dubai, AFP reported, citing its correspondent. The Dubai government press service said at the time that falling debris caused a “minor incident” with the facade of a building in the city center.
Earlier, the UAE Ministry of Defense reported that on March 12, air defense forces intercepted ten Iranian ballistic missiles and 26 drones. A total of 1,540 drones, 278 ballistic missiles and 15 cruise missiles were destroyed in the escalation in the Middle East.
Iran began attacking countries in the region after the United States and Israel launched military operations. As of March 10, 122 people had been injured and six killed in the UAE as a result of strikes by the Islamic Republic. Six Gulf countries, including the UAE, had previously threatened Iran with retaliatory measures for the attacks.