The UAE’s National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority has issued a statement saying that earlier messages warning residents about a possible missile threat had been due to a technical malfunction, Al Jazeera reports.

It says the issue was resolved by specialised teams and that officials apologised for the disruption.

The UAE has been the Gulf country hardest hit by Iranian missiles during Tehran’s war with the US, with significant disruption to daily life amid missile alarms and loud explosions from interceptions.