A Boholana broadcast journalist on vacation in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) found herself in the middle of a series of explosions and aerial attacks this week, as Houthi drone and missile strikes targeted areas near a major U.S. military installation and the capital’s main airport.
Ivy MalezaBalio, a reporter for Tagbilaran-based radio station DYTR, was staying in Banyas East — a residential district near the Al Dhafra Air Base — when two loud blasts rattled the area on her first day in the UAE.
“Smoke was from an intercepted ballistic missile that was shot, it exploded once. There were many of those. It exploded above, but several debris fell,” Balio said.
Residents, including Pakistani and Indian nationals, streamed out of their homes as smoke from intercepted missiles filled the sky.
The situation escalated around 2 p.m. when more powerful blasts shook doors and ceilings, prompting emergency alerts from the UAE Ministry of Interior ordering people to shelter away from windows and doors.
Balio and her family subsequently evacuated to Khalifa City to distance themselves from the military base, passing emergency vehicles responding to fires caused by falling debris.
The following morning, a separate drone attack struck Zayed International Airport, approximately seven kilometers from their temporary shelter, killing one Asian national and wounding seven others.
UAE authorities have assured the public that the situation is under control, urging residents to remain indoors and rely solely on official news sources.
Photographing or filming the incidents is prohibited under UAE’s laws.
Balio has since appealed for prayers for the safety of Filipino nationals currently in Abu Dhabi.