The United States Embassy in Riyadh, located in the diplomatic quarter of Saudi Arabia’s capital, was hit by two drones early Tuesday, Saudi officials said.
According to a statement from the Saudi Defense Ministry, the two drones struck the U.S. diplomatic compound in Riyadh, causing a limited fire and minor material damage to the building.
Residents and eyewitnesses in the area reported hearing a loud explosion and seeing black smoke rising above the embassy district around 3:30 a.m. local time, although Saudi authorities described the resulting fire as small and quickly contained.
In response to the incident, the U.S. Mission to Saudi Arabia issued a “shelter in place” advisory not only for employees and U.S. citizens in Riyadh, but also in Jeddah and Dhahran, urging them to remain indoors and exercise heightened caution.
US President Donald Trump told the NewsNation media outlet that the US response to the embassy attack and the killing of several American service members would soon be made clear. “You’ll find out soon,” he said.
Black smoke was seen rising over Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter, which houses foreign missions, after the attack, the Reuters news agency reported.
Three people told Reuters that a loud blast was heard and flames were seen at the embassy, though the Saudi Defense Ministry and one of the sources told the news agency that the fire in the aftermath of the drone attack was small in scale.
The embassy building was empty at the time of the attack, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters, and there were no reports of casualties.
A source close to the Saudi military, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the AFP news agency that air defences had intercepted four drones targeting Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter in the attack.