UAE serviceman killed on duty in domestic mission

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – The United Arab Emirates military says one of its servicemen has died while on duty in the Gulf nation.

The official WAM news agency reported Tuesday that Sgt. Abdullah Mohammed Issa al-Hammadi was killed “while carrying out a mission inside the country.” It gave no further details.

The Dubai-based daily Gulf News earlier reported online that al-Hammadi died in an encounter with an Iranian boat in which shots were fired, but it later removed that report from its site. Broadcaster Al-Arabiya also reported that an Emirati soldier was killed after an Iranian boat entered UAE territory. Neither named their sources.

Emirati officials had no comment when contacted by The Associated Press. The U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet said it had no information on the alleged incident.