U.S. Embassy In Riyadh Hit By Drones, Saudi Defense Ministry Says
March 3 (Reuters) – Based on an initial assessment, two drones hit the U.S. embassy in Riyadh, causing a limited fire and some property damage, the kingdom’s defense ministry said in a post on channel X on Tuesday.
The drone attack followed the US and Israel’s attacks on Iran on Saturday, amid Iran’s ongoing missile and drone attacks on Gulf countries that host US bases.
Reuters could not immediately confirm the circumstances of the incident.
Three people familiar with the matter said a loud explosion was heard and flames were seen at the US embassy in Riyadh early Tuesday morning, while one person said the fire was small.
Black smoke was seen rising over Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter, which hosts foreign missions.
Two people with knowledge of the matter said no injuries were reported because the building was empty early in the morning.
The embassy issued a “shelter in place” notice for U.S. citizens in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dhahran early Tuesday, advising them to stay away from the embassy until further notice due to the attack on the facility.
Neither an embassy spokesman nor the Saudi government’s media office immediately responded to a request for comment. (Reporting by Timour Azhari, Yomna Ehab and Enas Alashray; Editing by Chris Reese and Tom Hogue)
