Pinoys in Saudi Arabia told to stay calm, vigilant amid missile attack


Filipinos in Saudi Arabia were urged to stay calm and vigilant following Wednesday's missile attack by Yemen's Houthis on the Kingdom, suggesting escalating tension.
In a statement, the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh said the missiles were intercepted by Saudi Arabian Air Defense Systems, thus resulting in no damages to property or life.
Still, the embassy is calling for "calm and vigilance among the Filipino Community in Saudi Arabia," and urges Filipinos to "immediately report to the Embassy any information on the latest missile attack, especially if any Filipinos are affected."
Citing Saudi Arabia media and the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen, a Reuters report said three rockets were intercepted in Riyadh and the southern cities of Jizan and Najra.
The attacks mark the fourth time in five months that missiles have flown over Riyadh, as the Houthis step up efforts to demonstrate they can reach the Saudi capital, threatening to escalate a regional rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
The missiles followed the downing of two Houthi drones earlier on Wednesday in Jizan and the nearby Saudi city of Abha, the coalition said.
The Houthis said they were targeting an Aramco facility in Jizan, but the company said its facilities there were operating "normally and safely."
Saudi Arabia is home to over a million Filipino workers. —Rie Takumi/KBK, GMA News

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