RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s air defenses intercepted and destroyed 20 drones over a five-hour period early Friday, the country’s defense ministry confirmed, as aerial attacks on Gulf nations persisted.
Authorities in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates reported they were also contending with missile fire and drone threats. Bahrain’s interior ministry said shrapnel from what it described as “Iranian aggression” sparked a fire at a warehouse, which was brought under control with no reported injuries.
According to the Saudi defense ministry, the majority of the drones were shot down over the Eastern Province, home to the kingdom’s major oil refineries, while one was intercepted over the northern province of Al Jouf.
The fresh wave of attacks comes a day after a drone struck a Saudi oil refinery on the Red Sea, and causing fires at two additional facilities in Kuwait, as Iran escalated its campaign against Gulf energy infrastructure.
These strikes follow significant damage sustained Wednesday at Ras Laffan — Qatar’s vast natural gas hub and the world’s largest — after Iran retaliated for Israeli airstrikes on its South Pars gas field.
