SHAH ALAM - For Wan Zalina Wan Zakwan, a Malaysian who lives in Bahrain, the war in the Middle East has turned ordinary days into something she describes as living inside a nightmare that never seems to end.
She said the past few days have been an emotional roller coaster as explosions, sirens and drone sounds became part of daily life.
"There are ups and downs. Some days I cry. Some days I try to stay positive," she told Sinar Daily.
Wan Zalina, 43, lives in Hidd in the Muharraq Governorate, located about 5km from Juffair, Manama, where the United States (US) Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters is situated.
She said the latest blast occurred at about 1am today, with a loud bang that rattled the sliding doors of her apartment.
"I woke up immediately when I heard the explosion. I was scared. The first thing I did was grab my phone to check for updates and find out where it happened," said the mother of two.
She said two days ago, she heard drones flying repeatedly above her home, but she did not dare step outside to look.
With each pass, she said, the sense of fear grew stronger.
"Every time I heard the noise, I stopped whatever I was doing at that time and went to hug my children.
"When I heard the drone for the fifth time, I broke down and cried. I kept thinking, what if the drone falls? And then I told myself that Allah is our protector. Whatever happens, I place my trust in Him," she said.
On the morning of Feb 28, when the first explosion happened, Wan Zalina said she was discussing with a few friends about recording a Hari Raya greeting for RTM's TV1 to be aired on the eve of Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
She said they had planned to meet later that evening at the Grand Mosque in Manama to record the message.
Amidst discussions of outfits and festive preparations, a piercing warning siren shattered the calm.
"Ten minutes later, a loud explosion was heard. The door was shaking. The sound was like a tyre bursting, but 10 times louder.
"Panic set in as messages flooded the community group chat, confirming the explosion was near the naval base in Juffair, close to my house.
"I immediately told my children to get ready," she said.
Amid the panic, there was also a brief moment that stayed with her. She recalled a brief exchange between her children when her eldest son tried to rush his younger sibling, saying, "Faster, there’s a bomb!" to which the younger, unaware of the gravity, simply replied, "I don’t see any bomb."
Soon after, her husband called, telling them to prepare to evacuate. At the same time, she said the embassy sent out urgent safety advisories.
When her husband returned from work, they packed only the essentials and drove 25km to Zallaq, finding refuge with a friend.
Wan Zalina said the first night in Zallaq was fraught with tension.
She said although the explosions were distant, the warning sirens continued to wail.
At one point, she heard what sounded like an aircraft preparing for takeoff.
"I saw four glowing things in the airspace and shouted for everyone to look. Everyone in the house was already dressed, headscarves on, ready to flee," she said.
They soon realised the objects were drones, swiftly intercepted by Bahrain’s defence systems.
Minutes later, she said two more appeared and were also taken down.
That night, she said everyone was very scared and they retreated to the building's lobby for a while before the perceived calm allowed them to return upstairs.
She said after they had sahur and performed subuh prayers, she made the difficult decision to briefly return home to collect more belongings, which meant they had to drive through Juffair.
As they were leaving the area once more, another deafening explosion rocked the air.
"We saw missiles and drones being intercepted. Moments later, thick black smoke billowed from a building.
"If we had left earlier, maybe we would have been closer to the impact," she added.
She said the blast was believed to have struck a service facility linked to foreign assets in the Juffair and Mina Salman areas.
Wan Zalina said her family stayed with their friend, Suriyani Ibrahim, in Zallaq for three nights after leaving their home.
She expressed gratitude to Suriyani for opening her home to them during the tense moment.
"We are very thankful to Suriyani for letting us stay with her. It meant a lot to us during those difficult days," she said.
On the fourth day, she said they returned to their home in Hidd, but the sense of unease remained.
She said drones could still occasionally be heard overhead.
She added that the Malaysian embassy had also offered shelter to Malaysians in Bahrain at Rumah Malaysia, the residence of the Malaysian Ambassador to Bahrain, but her family chose to remain with their friend at that time.
Now, she said they await updates from the Malaysian Foreign Ministry regarding possible repatriation.
"If there is a need to return to Malaysia, we will comply with the instructions given," she said.
She said despite the profound fear, the unwavering support from family and friends has been a lifeline.
She expressed gratitude to family members, friends and colleagues who have been checking on her and her family since the situation escalated.
"Thank you so much for always praying for us. Some of my aunts had sent emotional messages, with a few crying out of worry. We are safe here, InsyaAllah.
"I’m sorry if I reply late because there are so many WhatsApp messages, but I’m really happy whenever I receive them," she said.
Zalina added that speaking with her family members, siblings and in-laws has also helped lift their spirits during the difficult period.
She shared that every morning, she dresses fully, as if preparing to leave the house.
Even sleep comes in this state of readiness, so that if anything happens, she can flee immediately.
On Saturday (Feb 28), Iran’s military launched attacks on four US military sites in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in retaliation for the joint US-Israel strikes across Iran.
The targets included Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE and the US naval fleet in Bahrain.
US and Israel began launching attacks on several sites across Iran on the same day, including in the capital Tehran, as tensions between the countries escalated into open conflict.
Waves of missiles were also launched by Iranian forces towards Israel.