RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s air defenses have intercepted 17 drones and a ballistic missile aimed at various targets across the Kingdom in the past 10 hours, the Ministry of Defense said.
In a series of posts on X, the ministry said the fresh wave of strikes began at around 7 p.m. Friday, roughly 10 hours after the previous attack was reported at past 9 a.m. the same day.
The ministry did not specify the origin of the strikes, but they are widely presumed to be Iranian. Iran has been targeting military and civilian installations across the Gulf region in retaliation for US and Israeli air strikes on Iranian territory, which began on February 28.
Based on the ministry’s posts and reports from the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the latest wave brings the total number of hostile drones intercepted and destroyed in the Kingdom to an estimated 150. Air defenses have also shot down approximately 25 missiles, mostly ballistic with some cruise missiles among them.
Interceptions have been reported across multiple areas, including the Eastern Province, near the Shaybah oilfield in the Empty Quarter, the Riyadh region, and other parts of the Kingdom.
