Kathmandu. All flights were temporarily suspended on Monday after an incident involving a drone near Dubai International Airport.

City officials said the decision was made to protect the safety of passengers and staff. The flight operation has been suspended considering the possible risk as the incident site is near the airport.

The drone attack caused a fire in a fuel storage tank near the airport. Local emergency services attended the scene and quickly brought the fire under control. No one was injured and there was no major damage, officials said.

Iran has fired more than 1,800 missiles and drones into the United Arab Emirates during the ongoing war in the Middle East. However, the UAE’s air defense system prevented many of them from inflicting major damage by intercepting them in the air. Due to this war, the security situation in the Gulf region has become tense.

Neighboring Saudi Arabia also said it had intercepted more than 60 drones in its eastern region since Monday morning. This indicates that the risk of drone attacks is still increasing across the Gulf region.

Dubai’s national carrier has urged passengers not to come to the airport for some time. Officials said flights would resume only after the security situation normalises. It has also been informed that preparations have been made to operate limited flights after 10 am. The main road to the airport was also closed for some time.

A total of six people, including four civilians and two soldiers, have been killed in the United Arab Emirates since the war began. Officials said the risk of attacks targeting civilian infrastructure, airports, ports and oil infrastructure remains.