West Asia war: Iranian strike hits Al Minhad Air Base in UAE; no Australian personnel injured

The Australian Governments Department of Defence has confirmed that an Iranian strike impacted an area at the Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday morningThe facility which has hosted a continuous Australian Defence Force ADF presence for many years was hit during the early hours of the dayIn a formal statement the department provided reassurances regarding the welfare of its troops noting that no ADF personnel were injured in the incident and all ADF personnel deployed to the Middle East are safe and accounted forWhile casualties were avoided the attack caused physical destruction within the facility The strike reportedly resulted in minor damage to an accommodation block and medical facility in the Australian section of the baseFollowing the impact military officials have shifted their attention to preventing further risks to personnel stationed in the region Defences focus is on ensuring the safety and security of our people and we will continue to revise force protection measures as the situation in the Middle East evolves the statement addedProviding further details on the strike Prime Minister Anthony Albanese revealed that an Iranian projectile struck a road just outside the base at approximately 915 am AEDT on WednesdayAccording to ABC News the strike ignited a fire which resulted in minor damage to Australian medical and accommodation facilities While it remains not clear if it was a missile or drone strike the Prime Minister confirmed that the subsequent blaze affected a clinical area and housing unitsI can confirm that no Australian personnel were injured and everyone is absolutely safe at this point in time Albanese stated adding that the damage was caused by a small fire that was created as a result of that projectile hitting a road leading up to that baseThe facility serves as a vital military logistics surveillance and training hub for the ADF More than 100 Australian personnel are currently stationed at the base which also provides a home for British forces and a small contingent of United States military membersThis marks the second occasion the air base has been caught in the crosshairs of the ongoing conflict An Iranian drone strike previously hit the facility during the initial days of the war though that specific strike caused no damage to Australian facilitiesWhen questioned on whether the base was being intentionally singled out Albanese remarked that the Iranian regime is engaging in random attacks right across the region The UAE has faced heavy bombardment throughout the current hostilitiesABC News highlighted that the UAE defence ministry estimates nearly 1700 drones and missiles were directed at the nation in the first week of the war alone with approximately 90 per cent successfully interceptedAddressing the security of Australian troops Shadow Defence Minister James Paterson expressed relief that no personnel were harmed but warned that the attack on Australian facilities at Al Minhad is another reminder that the Islamic Republic regime in Iran is no friend of AustraliaHe reiterated the Coalitions support for the deployment of E7A Wedgetail surveillance aircraft to assist partners like the UAE As the regional situation remains volatile the government is being urged to provide all resources and support necessary to ensure the safety of service membersIn a post on X Defence Minister Richard Marles addressed the incident at the facility where the Australian Defence Force ADF has been stationed for years He emphasised that the welfare of military personnel remains the governments paramount concern following the strikeThe safety and security of the men and women who bravely wear our nations uniform is always our first priority and I want to reassure people that no Australians were injured in this incident the Defence Minister statedMarles further noted that the public may have see the news that a base where the ADF has a longstanding presence has been hit in the UAE by IranThe statement comes amidst a period of heightened regional volatility with Australian authorities continuing to monitor the safety of their forces deployed across the Middle EastThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever