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Airwars Assessment
(Previous Incident Code: IRUAE260228a )
On February 28, 2026, a Pakistani national was killed after shrapnel and/or missile fragments from an alleged Iranian missile or UAE interceptor missile fell on a residential area in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
According to the reports by the UAE Ministry of Defense, one person was killed. News of Bahrain reported that 44-year-old Murib Zaman Nizar had been killed by missile debris in Abu Dhabi. Murib was from Bannu in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region and was described as a “devoted” father of five and primary provider for three household.
Those that knew Murib told News of Bahrain that he was selfless and had a relentless work ethic, supporting his brother’s widow and children after his brother died two years before. Murib’s nephew, Dr. Shahzeb Khan, said that Murib took care of three separate families and often took on personal debt to help friends in need without letting the stress show: “He had a big heart. He was always smiling.” Just days before he was killed, he had sent home money so that his children – between four and 12 years old – could buy new clothes for Eid, while dreaming of building a permanent home for his family in Bannu and taking his elderly parents on the Umrah pilgrimage to Makkah.
Murib’s younger brother Muhammad Khan told The National that “My brother wanted to do a lot for his family, always spoke of wanting to build a house for his children. He was always talking about his daughters, he wanted better for them. But he is gone before he could do any of this. He was inside the house when the missiles fell on February 28.” According to Muhammad, his brother had been working in the UAE for the past 14 years and had planned to travel to his hometown for Eid.
Arab News Pakistan provided slightly different details about Murib, reporting that he had been in the UAE for eight years and was 40 years old. Nazar Ali, father of Murib, told Arab News Pakistan that “I found out the same day because nowadays it is the age of the Internet. I myself was in the market at that time when I received the news [of his death], but I did not tell the family. He used to say that ‘When I come on Eid, God willing, I will build a room for you.” Adnan Gul, Murib’s nephew, remembered his uncle as a warm and optimistic man, further adding that “His wish was to have a good home, a settled family, and a good, peaceful life. He had many wishes, but unfortunately all those wishes remained unfulfilled.”
The National spoke with Haji Daraz Khan, a Pakistani social worker, who said that Murib “was hardworking, reliable, dependable and honest, everyone trusted him. He was at work in his employer’s house when it was hit. We can’t escape death. The house was damaged and a good man who did everything to take care of everyone has died.” The article included multiple images of Murib, including one where he is in a car, one sitting in a very green field of grass, and a third of him and a young child, possibly one of his children.
According to Eye of Libya Media Network, the attack also caused minor material damage. Multiple sources, including The National, mentioned that Murib had been a driver for a family in Abu Dhabi and had been inside their home when he was killed.
News of Bahrain quoted Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, who expressed the nation’s grief at their loss and described Murib as a “dedicated and hardworking” individual whose life was taken during the conflict.
Multiple videos were included in reporting on this incident but have not been described as they were geolocated to different or previous incidents.
In this incident, local sources reported that harm resulted from falling Iranian missile debris after a Qatari interception. Specifically, Watan TV on Twitter/X reported that the cause of death was shrapnel falling from an interceptor missile. @Syria TV, referring to the Emirates News Agency, stated that one person was killed in Abu Dhabi after Iranian missiles were intercepted.
In line with Airwars’ methodology, strike status has been recorded as ‘likely’ as sources agree that the original missiles were launched by the Iranian military, and intercepted by the UAE military. As it is unclear whether the resulting harm should be attributed to the original missile or interception, the civilian harm status for such incidents has been recorded as ‘contested’.
Geolocation Notes
Reports of the incident mention the city of Abu Dhabi, UAE (أبو ظبي), for which the generic coordinates are: 24.457470, 54.373345. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.