U.S. Embassy Lowers Rare Warning of Missile Attack on Riyadh
U.S. Embassy Warns of Missile Attack on Riyadh in Rare Alert
(Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh lowered an alert on possible missiles or drones headed toward the Saudi capital on Wednesday, while urging Americans to continue to remain vigilant.
The earlier warning came about an hour after Saudi Arabia reported it had intercepted and destroyed drones laden with explosives launched by Yemen’s Shiite Houthi rebels against targets in the south. The embassy later updated the advice on its website, saying it “is no longer tracking reports of missiles or drones headed toward Riyadh.”
“However, the embassy advises American citizens to continue to exercise increased caution in Saudi Arabia due to terrorism and the threat of missile and drone attacks on civilian targets,” it added.
The embassy hasn’t routinely issued alerts for rebel attacks on the kingdom. The Houthis have on multiple occasions fired missiles and drones at targets including Riyadh since a Saudi-led coalition began fighting the Iran-backed group in 2015 to restore Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi.
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