Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Taiani reiterated his country's condemnation of the Houthi attacks that targeted areas in Saudi Arabia, stressing Rome's solidarity with Riyadh and its support in the measures it takes to maintain its security.
During a phone call with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, on Wednesday, Minister Tayani appreciated the Kingdom’s efforts to ensure the safety of residents on its territory, including Italians.
The two sides discussed the latest developments in the regional and international situation, and the efforts made to ensure the safety and freedom of maritime navigation in the Straits of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab, in a way that contributes to the smooth flow of international trade and preserves the region’s security and stability.
The coalition forces succeeded in intercepting and destroying 14 missiles and an explosive drone, launched by the terrorist Houthi militias, systematically and deliberately targeting civilians and civilian objects in several areas of Saudi Arabia, during the past 24 hours.
The official spokesman for the coalition forces, Major General Turki Al-Maliki, explained that the forces monitored and responded to simultaneous attack attempts, which included threats of ballistic and winged missiles and drones, noting that they intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles directed towards the Haradh Center in Al-Ahsa Governorate and the city of Dhahran in the Eastern Province.
He added that the defenses intercepted and destroyed five winged cruise missiles and a ballistic missile that targeted the vicinity of the Riyadh region, and another winged one in Al-Kharj Governorate, in addition to shooting down five explosive drones, 4 of which were destroyed north of the capital, Riyadh, and one in the southern airspace.
In a related context, Major General Al-Maliki explained that the interception operations resulted in the scattering of fragments and remnants of projectiles over some residential neighborhoods in the city of Dhahran, where parts of the missile interception fragments fell in a residential neighborhood. The competent authorities began dealing with the site immediately, while the concerned authorities confirmed that the danger had passed, and that no injuries or human losses were recorded as a result of the incident.
For its part, the Civil Defense announced the fall of shrapnel resulting from the interception of two cruise missiles in the city of Riyadh, resulting in the injury of 4 people, including two women, a man and a child, in addition to limited material damage to 15 residential homes. He confirmed the adoption of approved measures in such cases, and announced, in a later statement, the fall of shrapnel as a result of the interception of a ballistic missile in the city of Riyadh, resulting in the injury of an Arab resident and limited material damage to a residential home and a vehicle.
In another development, an official source in the Saudi Ministry of Energy revealed that one of the administrative buildings belonging to Saudi Aramco in the city of Dhahran in the Eastern Province was targeted, which led to the outbreak of a limited fire. The source explained that the competent authorities began dealing with the incident and taking the necessary measures, confirming that no injuries or deaths occurred.
The coalition stressed that this escalation represents an extension of the Houthi militia’s attempts to target energy facilities and civilian airports, especially in the wake of the threats made by the group to target Aramco headquarters in Dammam, the Riyadh refinery, and King Khalid International Airport, considering that these threats represent a violation of international humanitarian law.
In response to these threats, the Joint Forces Command of the coalition confirmed taking and implementing strict operational measures to neutralize and destroy these capabilities, and protect civilians in accordance with international law. It pointed to the implementation of pre-emptive and precise air strikes that targeted camps, arms stores and launching pads in the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, in addition to vital sites that contribute to supporting the war effort of the terrorist Houthi militia.
On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia expressed its condemnation and denunciation of the Colombian government’s attempt to open an “embassy” in the occupied city of Jerusalem, and considered the step a violation of international law and relevant international legitimacy resolutions, and an infringement on the legal and historical status of the city.
The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, in a statement, that this step contradicts the established international position regarding the legal and historical status of the occupied city of Jerusalem.
The Kingdom renewed its call on the international community, including the Security Council and all concerned parties, to carry out their legal and moral responsibilities, and to take urgent action to stop the illegal Israeli policies that aim to impose a new reality by force and undermine the chances of achieving a just and lasting peace.
