Saudi officials reported that the U.S. diplomatic compound in Riyadh, the capital city, was struck by two unmanned aerial vehicles on Tuesday morning. The attack, which occurred in the early hours, led to a minor blaze and some property damage at the embassy building.
According to a statement released by the Saudi Ministry of Defense, the drones hit the U.S. diplomatic premises. Eyewitnesses in the vicinity described hearing a significant explosion and observing dark smoke billowing over the embassy area around 3:30 AM local time. However, Saudi authorities indicated that the resulting fire was small and swiftly brought under control.
In response to the security breach, the U.S. Mission to Saudi Arabia issued a "shelter in place" directive. This advisory cautioned U.S. government employees and citizens residing in Riyadh, as well as those in Jeddah and Dhahran, to remain indoors and maintain a high level of vigilance.
Reports from Reuters indicated that black smoke was visible over Riyadh's Diplomatic Quarter, an area hosting various foreign diplomatic missions, following the incident. Multiple sources told Reuters that a loud blast was heard and flames were observed at the embassy, though the Saudi Defense Ministry and one source specified that the fire was minor.
Individuals familiar with the situation informed Reuters that the embassy building was unoccupied at the time of the drone strikes, and no injuries were reported. A source connected to the Saudi military, who spoke anonymously to AFP, stated that air defence systems had intercepted a total of four drones that were aimed at the Diplomatic Quarter during the attack.
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