India, March 3 -- Residents across the United Arab Emirates watched the night sky flicker with distant flashes and felt windows tremble from muffled explosions.

What unfolded in seconds above Abu Dhabi and Dubai, however, reflected years of military planning, billions in defence investment and a complex network of radars and interceptors working in synchrony.

After joint US-Israeli strikes targeted Iran, Tehran retaliated with missile and drone attacks across the Gulf.

Within hours, the UAE Ministry of Defence confirmed that its air defence systems had intercepted several incoming ballistic missiles.

THAAD interceptor. Photo: Wikimedia Commons/US Army

While most threats were destroyed mid-air, debris from one interception fell in Abu...