A drone strike on the US embassy in Riyadh caused a fire and minor damage, with no casualties reported amid heightened regional tensions.
RIYADH: A drone attack on the US embassy in Riyadh early Tuesday caused a small fire and minor damage. The Saudi defence ministry confirmed the assault involved two drones.
Witnesses reported seeing smoke over the embassy compound and hearing loud explosions in the diplomatic quarter. Fire engines were later seen at the scene.
A source close to the Saudi army said air defences intercepted four drones targeting the area. The US embassy subsequently issued shelter-in-place orders for its personnel in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dhahran.
The attack coincided with a wider wave of Iranian retaliatory strikes across the Gulf. The UAE defence ministry reported dealing with a barrage of ballistic missiles from Iran.
Qatar’s defence ministry also stated it had intercepted two ballistic missiles early Tuesday. Later in the day, new explosions were again heard in Riyadh.
Iran began the region-wide attacks in retaliation for recent US and Israeli strikes. Its salvos have targeted ports, airports and residential buildings alongside military sites.
On Monday, smoke was seen pouring from the US embassy in Kuwait City. Diplomats said the building was damaged by several drone strikes, with one source stating it was hit directly.