«We’re not joking here. The situation is serious and there is a lot of fear.” The speaker is a man from Messina (whose identity must remain anonymous for security reasons) resident in Dubai, who recounts hours of strong tension in the metropolis of the United Arab Emirates.
«We are all registered using a code on the government website to be monitored. It is strictly forbidden to spread information, also because there is a lot of false news circulating”, he explains. The city is on red alert, with tight controls and active defense systems. In the last few hours, he reports, several missile drones have been intercepted in the skies above the city. «We heard them explode after being hit in flight. Above our heads there are anti-missile drones and planes constantly patrolling.”
“Drone exploded eight minutes from my workplace”
One of the closest incidents occurred in the evening: «A drone exploded about eight minutes from my workplace. They sent us all home mid-service.” During the night, he continues, symbolic and strategic objectives were also targeted, including the Dubai Marina area and Dubai International Airport. “From my house I heard three loud explosions: they certainly intercepted at least three of them.”
The locations listed as affected include the Fairmont Dubai and the Burj Al Arab, while other attacks were reportedly neutralized by defense systems. «I don’t know anything about the job yet, we are waiting for communications. There is a lot of fear, but the controls are very strict”, concludes the man from Messina. “Here they do everything but joke.”