Saudis shoot down drone in Riyadh

The Saudi authorities have begun an investigation into the circumstances of the drone flight

Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz was not at his palace when the drone was shot down. EPA/SAUDI PRESS AGENCY HANDOUT

The government of Saudi Arabia has ruled out any major security breach after security forces shot down an unidentified toy drone hovering over a neighbourhood home to royal palaces in Riyadh.

Unconfirmed videos on social media appeared to show heavy volleys of gunfire in the area, triggering speculation of a possible coup attempt. However, the government denied such reports and an investigation into the incident was launched.

An official spotted the drone in Khozama district, where the royal palaces are located, and dealt with it “according to their orders and instructions”, a statement from Riyadh police said late Saturday.

Saudi’s King Salman was not in a palace at the time of the attack, according to a senior official cited by Reuters. The statement came after footage was circulated online that included the apparent sound of gunfire in the Saudi capital.

The Yemeni government has said that Iran supplied the country’s Houthi rebels with drones used to attack Saudi Arabia.

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