DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A suspicious device discovered in an air cargo shipment in Dubai that was headed for the U.S. contained explosive materials, an official UAE security source said Friday.

It was the first confirmation that any of the suspicious packages reported Friday contained explosives.

The person, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said late Friday the “explosive device” was found in the last 24 hours in a courier company’s regional hub and originated in a shipment from Yemen.

The source told The Associated Press there has been “close cooperation between several intelligence and security agencies around the world following the discovery of shipments, using various international couriers, containing an explosive device originating in Yemen.”

The person said “a similar device was also discovered in Dubai at the warehouse hub of … a courier agency” and an investigation is under way.