Driver dies in Al Barsha incident amid expanding Iran-US-Israel war; UAE condemns attacks on civilians
A plume of smoke rises around the Dubai Creek area as seen from Dubai International Airport in Dubai, United Arab Emirates March 7, 2026. PHOTO: REUTERS
A Pakistani driver was killed when “debris from an aerial interception” fell on a vehicle in Dubai’s Al Barsha area late Saturday night, according to the Dubai Media Office.
This is the second instance of a Pakistani national losing his life in an attack in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during the ongoing war between Iran and the US and Israel.
The war has spread across the region, with Iran targeting US assets and bases in the Gulf countries, while Israel is carrying out attacks in Lebanon.
The Dubai Media Office statement did not specify which projectile was intercepted during Saturday’s incident or where it had been fired from.
Authorities confirm that debris from an aerial interception fell on a vehicle in the Al Barsha area, resulting in the death of a Pakistani driver.
— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) March 7, 2026
The war began on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran. On the same day, the UAE Ministry of Defense reported the death of one person after debris fell after intercepting missiles aimed at locations in Abu Dhabi.
Initially, the Ministry of Defense said an Asian national had been killed after debris fell on a residential area in Abu Dhabi.
Later, UAE authorities confirmed that the victim was a Pakistani national identified as Mureed Zaman, a resident of Bannu district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
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Zaman had been working in Abu Dhabi for almost eight years, earning a living through labor and driving. He had supported his family at home.
The UAE conveyed its “sincere condolences and deepest sympathies to the family of the Pakistani national who lost their lives as a result of these attacks and expressed its full solidarity with them”.
“The UAE emphasized that attacks on civilians and civilian objects are unequivocally condemned and strictly prohibited under international law and humanitarian principles,” a statement from the foreign ministry said.
