Driver dies in Al Barsha incident amid escalating war between Iran, US and Israel; UAE condemns attacks on civilians
A plume of smoke rises around the Dubai Creek area, seen from Dubai International Airport, 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 on Saturday evening, according to the Dubai Media Office.
This is the second case where a Pakistani national has lost his life in an attack in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during the ongoing war between Iran, the United States and Israel.
The war has spread across the region, with Iran targeting US assets and bases in Gulf countries while Israel carries out attacks in Lebanon.
The statement from the Dubai Media Office did not specify which projectile was intercepted in Saturday’s incident or where it was fired from.
Authorities confirm debris from an aerial interception fell on a vehicle in the Al Barsha area, killing a Pakistani driver.
– Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) March 7, 2026
The war began on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran. The same day, the UAE Ministry of Defense reported the death of one person following falling debris following the interception of missiles targeting sites in Abu Dhabi.
Initially, the Defense Ministry said an Asian national was 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 worked in Abu Dhabi for almost eight years, earning a living through manual labor and driving. He provided for the needs of his family back home.
The United Arab Emirates conveyed its “sincere condolences and deepest sympathies to the family of the Pakistani national who lost his life following these attacks, expressing its full solidarity with them”.
“The UAE has stressed that the targeting of civilians and civilian objects is unequivocally condemned and strictly prohibited by international law and humanitarian principles,” said a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
