THE Philippines on Monday condemned the latest missile attacks on Saudi Arabia that left one person dead and two others wounded.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said no Filipinos were reported among the casualties after the Houthi rebels in Yemen fired seven missiles towards Riyadh and several areas in Saudi Arabia late Sunday night.
“The Philippines strongly condemns the latest missile attacks against Saudi Arabia,” Cayetano said.
“These attacks targeting Riyadh and other heavily populated areas are a violation of international law and must stop.”
Cayetano praised Saudi Arabia for its successful interception of the missiles, saying that saved the lives of many Saudi citizens as well as foreign nationals including Filipinos.
There are close to a million Filipinos working in Saudi Arabia.
Ambassador to Riyadh Adnan Alonto said three missiles were launched toward Riyadh, one was launched toward Khalid Mushait, one toward Narjan and and two toward Jizan, but allwere intercepted and destroyed by the Saudi air defense system. Alonto said an Egyptian national was killed and two others were injured when missile fragments fell on their house in Riyadh.
He said the Embassy and the Consulate General in Jeddah were continuing to monitor the situation, and that these had not received any reports of Filipinos having been affected by the attacks.
“We request our countrymen to remain calm but vigilant and to immediately report to the Embassy or Consulate General any Filipinos who may have been affected by the attacks,” he said.
He said Sunday’s missile attacks were the third targeting Riyadh in the past four months. In November, Houthi rebels fired a missile toward the Riyadh International Airport and another toward Riyadh in December. He said both missiles were intercepted and destroyed.
The latest attacks took place on the third anniversary of the conflict between the Houthi rebels, who are in control of most of Yemen, and a Saudi-led military coalition supporting the internationally recognized government of President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi.