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The United States has ordered some US Embassy staff and their family members to leave Saudi Arabia (SA) amid a series of deadly attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
The US State Department announced the directive on Wednesday, as Saudi Arabia faces repeated attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott explained the decision in a social media post, saying the Houthis were increasingly engaging in hostile activities against Saudi Arabia, including attacks on civilian airports and other critical infrastructure. These attacks have caused civilian casualties and severely disrupted transportation, he said.
“The safety and security of Department of State personnel and their family members is our highest priority,” Pigott added.
A diplomatic source in the Middle East told AFP that family members of some US Embassy staff were also being evacuated from the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain.
However, Pigott stressed that Wednesday’s order applied only to US Embassy personnel in Saudi Arabia whose presence in the country was not considered essential, as well as their family members.
The Houthis have carried out attacks in Saudi Arabia almost daily this month, including a strike on Riyadh’s international airport. The attack was among the deadliest to hit Saudi Arabia in several years, amid escalating hostilities between the Houthis and the kingdom.
On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry said a drone targeting an oil facility had been intercepted, with falling debris subsequently killing two people and injuring two others.
In a statement, the ministry said two people had been killed in the attempted attack. One was a Filipino national and the other a Nepali national. Two others were injured. Source: Agencies.
