Ballistic missile attack on Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia

On the evening of the 18th local time, the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Defense said in a statement that the country’s capital, Riyadh, was hit by ballistic missiles that night. The air defense system intercepted and destroyed four ballistic missiles. Earlier that evening, multiple reports of huge explosions were heard across Riyadh, and local residents received air-raid alerts that were issued via a mobile phone application. It is understood that this was the first time that large-scale air-raid alerts were sent via a mobile phone application across central Riyadh since the United States and Israel jointly launched a military operation against Iran on February 28. A spokesperson for the Saudi Ministry of Defense said on social media that the air defense system successfully intercepted and destroyed four ballistic missiles, and that the resulting debris fell in various parts of Riyadh. A preliminary estimate indicates that there were no casualties. At present, the Saudi Civil Defense Authority has announced that Riyadh is “in the clear,” but said that residents must continue to follow instructions from the civil defense department, avoid gathering, and stay away from dangerous areas. (CCTV News)