RIYADH/SANA/WASHINGTON (MNN); Saudi Arabia intercepted a drone targeting a facility at the Shaybah oil field in the kingdom’s eastern region, but falling shrapnel killed two foreign workers and injured two others, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
Citing an official source at the Saudi Ministry of Energy, SPA said the drone was intercepted while attempting to strike a facility belonging to Saudi Aramco at the Shaybah oil field.
The incident triggered a fire in a contractor’s vehicle outside the facility’s perimeter, but oil field operations remained unaffected, the report said.
The two people killed were Filipino and Nepalese nationals, while the injured included one Pakistani and one Indian national. The Ministry of Energy separately confirmed the casualties.
US Considers Diplomatic Staff Withdrawals Amid Fears of Renewed Gulf Hostilities
The United States is preparing to order some diplomatic personnel and their family members to leave American embassies across the Gulf region amid concerns that hostilities could resume, Reuters reported, citing three US officials.
Two of the officials said the move was prompted by the possibility of renewed fighting, particularly involving Yemen’s Houthi movement.
Separately, a diplomatic source told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that Washington had ordered all US embassy staff and their families to leave Saudi Arabia as the kingdom faced sustained attacks attributed to the Houthis.
According to the source, families of American embassy personnel were also ordered to leave the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain.
The reported measures came amid heightened regional tensions and concerns over the potential expansion of hostilities across the Gulf.
Explosions Reported in Iran’s Hormozgan Province Near Strait of Hormuz
Explosions were reported in Iran’s southern Hormozgan province near the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, according to Iranian state media cited by Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported that several explosions were heard in the Karpan area of Sirik, in Hormozgan province.
The agency said local sources had not yet established the nature or cause of the explosions. No further details were immediately available in the report.
Yemen’s Houthis Deny Drone Attacks on Medina, Saudi Arabia
Yemen’s Houthi movement has denied launching drones towards the Saudi holy city of Medina or conducting any military operations against Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, rejecting an earlier claim by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree issued the denial after the Saudi-led coalition announced that it had intercepted and destroyed four drones launched towards Saudi Arabia, with interceptions reported over Medina and the kingdom’s eastern regions.
The conflicting statements came amid heightened regional tensions and renewed concerns over the potential expansion of hostilities involving Yemen and neighbouring Gulf countries.
Houthi Missile Strike on Yemen Military Camp Kills 73, More Than 200 Injured
The death toll from a Houthi ballistic missile attack on a military training camp in Yemen’s Shabwa province has risen to 73, while more than 200 people were injured, local authorities said on Tuesday.
Shabwa Governor Awad al-Wazir said 14 people remained missing following Monday’s attack on the Al-Alam military camp.
According to local authorities, three ballistic missiles struck security forces during a training exercise. Video verified by Reuters reportedly showed injured people and bloodied bodies scattered across the ground.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree confirmed that the group had targeted the camp, claiming it was operated by Saudi forces. Saudi authorities had not immediately responded to a request for comment, according to the report.
The attack comes amid renewed fighting between the Iran-aligned Houthis and Yemen’s internationally recognised government, which is backed by a Saudi-led coalition.
Government forces launched an offensive this month to recapture areas held by the Houthis and made advances near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a strategic maritime chokepoint at the entrance to the Red Sea.
Meanwhile, the Houthis have continued their siege of Taiz, a major stronghold of anti-Houthi forces in Yemen’s southern highlands.
