Dubai:
A ballistic missile attack aimed at Saudi Arabia’s oil-wealthy eastern area was intercepted on Saturday, the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthi group in Yemen mentioned in a statement carried by Saudi state media.
The missile was intercepted more than the city of Dammam, according to a supply familiar with the matter who declined to be named and social media reports.
The shrapnel of the missile scattered more than the Dammam Suburb neigbourhood, injuring two Saudi children, though 14 residential homes suffered light damages, Saudi state news agency SPA mentioned, citing a statement by the defence ministry.
The coalition blamed the attack on the Iran-aligned Houthi forces. There was no instant claim of duty in Houthi-run media.
The coalition also mentioned it intercepted and destroyed ballistic missiles heading towards Jazan and Najran, each in the southern portion of the nation.
The coalition earlier also reported the interception of 3 explosive-laden drones headed towards the Kingdom.
Eastern Saudi is home to considerable oil infrastructure which has previously been targeted and hit by aerial attacks. An attack in September 2019 on two Aramco plants in the east temporarily knocked out half the country’s oil production.
Yemen’s Houthis, who often launch drones and missiles into the kingdom, have claimed duty for various attacks on Saudi oil installations in the previous.
A supply familiar with the matter mentioned there was no influence on facilities belonging to state-controlled oil giant Saudi Aramco and that the attack occurred outdoors of Aramco facilities.
“The Ministry of Defense will take the necessary and deterrent measures to protect its lands and capabilities, and stop such hostile and cross-border attacks to protect civilians, in accordance with international humanitarian law,” the ministry mentioned in a statement according to SPA.
The Saudi-led military coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015, backing forces of the ousted government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi fighting the Houthis.
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