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DUBAI \u2014A Patriot air \u200bdefense system was involved in the interception of \u200can Iranian drone over a residential area of Bahrain on March 9, Bahrain\u2019s government said on Saturday, an incident that the U.S. military had characterized as a direct \u200bIranian drone strike.<\/strong><\/p>\n At the time, Bahrain said 32 \u200bcivilians had been injured, including children who required medical \u2060treatment, and the U.S. military said an Iranian drone \u200bhad struck a residential neighborhood.<\/p>\n On Saturday, a government spokesperson said the kingdom \u200bhad been subjected to multiple Iranian drone attacks that day, and that the interception over the Sitra district had prevented a drone \u200bstrike and saved lives.<\/p>\n \u201cDuring this incident, the Patriot air \u200bdefence system intercepted an Iranian drone aerially,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n \u201cHad the Iranian drone \u200cimpacted \u2060the residential area, it would have resulted in significant loss of life.\u201d<\/p>\n U.S. Central Command at the time denied reports from Russian and Iranian media that a U.S. Patriot missile \u200bhad failed to \u200bintercept an \u2060Iranian missile or drone and instead inadvertently struck a residential area.<\/p>\n The U.S.\u2011made Patriot surface\u2011to\u2011air \u200bmissile defence system is designed to intercept missiles, \u200bdrones \u2060and other aerial attacks.<\/p>\n It has been used by the United States and Gulf Arab allies including Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait \u2060and \u200bQatar to protect cities, energy infrastructure \u200band military bases from Iranian missile and drone attacks during the Iran war.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n