DUBAI(RAHNUMA): Qatar strongly condemned an Iranian attack on Friday against buildings in Bahrain housing members of the Qatari naval forces participating in a joint Gulf military framework.
Qatar’s foreign ministry called the incident a “brazen hostile act” and a violation of Bahrain’s sovereignty.
The statement said the targeted facilities were located in scattered areas of Bahrain and house personnel involved in the Unified Maritime Operations Center under the Unified Military Command of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
The ministry said the attack posed a direct threat to Bahrain’s security and stability as well as regional security, adding that all Qatari naval personnel present in the targeted buildings were safe and unharmed.
The condemnation came amid continued interceptions of Iranian drones across the region.
Explosions were heard over Manama, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, as interceptions continued.
Further strikes in Bahrain
Earlier on Friday, Bahrain’s interior ministry said Iran had struck a hotel and two residential buildings in the capital Manama but that there was “no loss of life”.
The attack sparked a fire in one of the residential buildings, which had been extinguished.
Leader of the US Central Command, Brad Cooper, said on Friday that Iran had fired seven attack drones at civilian, residential neighborhoods in Bahrain on Thursday night.
The British ambassador to Bahrain said on Friday that the UK would be part of “defending” Bahrain by having Royal Air Force fighter jets flying over the island kingdom as it faces attacks from Iran.
“Today, I’m delighted to tell to people that the UK will be flying RAF jets above Bahrain as a contribution to the defense of Bahrain, one of our closest allies in the whole world,” Ambassador Alastair Long said.
Three drones reach UAE territory
In the UAE, the defense ministry said it had successfully responded to missile and drone attacks.
Three aerial drones hit the UAE on Friday, the country’s Defense Ministry said on X. It did not elaborate on where they fell or any damage caused.
The UAE’s air defenses destroyed nine ballistic missiles and intercepted a further 109 drones on Friday, the ministry added. Since the start of the war, 205 ballistic missiles and 1,184 drones have been detected in UAE territory, with most destroyed, officials said. Three people have been killed and 112 injured.
In Kuwait, the army said air defenses were activated when missile and drone attacks breached its airspace.
At least 13 people have been killed across the GCC, including seven civilians, since Iran began its strikes on Saturday.
Washington said six US service members were killed, including four in Kuwait.
*WIth AFP and AP
