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AFP reported that diplomats stationed in Riyadh were instructed to shelter in place inside their embassies as explosions reverberated through the city. Residents speaking to the agency said several international schools took precautions with at least one sending its students to a basement for safety. Employees in the King Abdullah Financial District told AFP that some companies had started evacuating staff from the area in response to the disturbances.
The timing of the blasts came hours after the Houthis based in Yemen claimed their most recent attack on Saudi territory according to AFP. The Iran-backed militants have stepped up operations against the kingdom since beginning a large-scale offensive in Yemen aimed at the Saudi-backed administration. Efforts by Saudi and Yemeni government forces to push back the group have met with mixed results in key regions including those vital for maritime energy transport.
Riyadh has experienced few comparable security alerts since the Middle East war commenced with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February according to the AFP account. The capital is home to a large expatriate community making the coordinated response by diplomatic missions particularly significant for non-Saudi residents. The measures reflect ongoing concerns over potential fallout from the regional conflict.
Reuters reported that multinational firms in the King Abdullah Financial District told staff to work from home after the loud booms with flight tracker data showing delays at King Khalid International Airport. The incidents followed Saudi civil aviation authority confirmation that three people were killed and 36 others wounded in strikes on Abha and Riyadh airports earlier in the week. The fatalities included Egyptian Algerian and Sudanese nationals according to the authority’s statement.
The US embassy had separately warned American citizens to exercise increased caution due to threats against Saudi airports and airspace according to embassy alerts referenced in regional coverage. Such notices often precede or accompany disruptions including possible flight halts and airspace restrictions. Diplomats from other nations followed similar protocols by confining personnel to embassy grounds on Thursday.
The Houthis maintain control over Sanaa and much of Yemen’s populated areas despite the counter-offensive AFP noted in background on the group. Thursday’s reported blasts add to a pattern of intermittent attacks that have targeted infrastructure across Saudi Arabia throughout the conflict. No immediate details emerged on casualties or damage from the latest incident in the capital.
