ISTANBUL

The Qatari Defense Ministry said Monday evening that air defenses had intercepted 13 ballistic missiles from Iran as Iranian retaliatory strikes to US-Israeli attacks continued.

A ministry statement said that 14 ballistic missiles and a number of drones were fired at Qatari territory from Iran on Monday.

According to the statement, 13 missiles were shot down and destroyed, while one missile fell in an uninhabited area, without causing casualties or damage.

Regional escalation has raged since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran since Feb. 28, killing so far around 1,200 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries, which it says are targeting “US military assets.” Some of these attacks have caused casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure, including airports, ports and buildings.

*Writing by Rania Abushamala