Saudi Arabia destroys drone targeting oilfield in country’s southeast

ISTANBUL

Saudi air defenses intercepted and destroyed a drone targeting the Shaybah oilfield located in the Rub’ al-Khali (Empty Quarter) desert in the country’s southeast, the Defense Ministry said late Sunday.

A ministry spokesman said on the US social media company X’s platform that two drones were also shot down north of the capital Riyadh after attempting to target the area.

He added that Saudi air defenses also intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched toward Prince Sultan Air Base.

Footage released by the ministry showed Saudi air defense systems intercepting and destroying several drones launched toward the Kingdom in recent days.

Earlier, the Saudi Civil Defense said “a military projectile” fell on a residential site belonging to a maintenance and cleaning company in Al-Kharj Governorate in central Saudi Arabia, killing two residents of Indian and Bangladeshi nationality, while 12 Bangladeshi residents were injured.

Regional escalation has flared up since Israel and the US launched a joint attack on Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,200 people, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and injuring over 10,000 others, according to Iranian authorities.

Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, Iraq, Jordan and Gulf countries that are home to US military assets.