Two killed in Oman by drones, several also fired at Saudi Arabia

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Two people have been killed in Oman after drones came down in the Sohar province, according to Oman’s state news agency, as Gulf nations remain caught in the crosshairs of the war the United States and Israel launched on Iran, sparking Tehran’s retaliation across the region.

The agency, quoting a security source, said on Friday morning that one of the drones hit the al-Awahi Industrial Area, killing two foreign nationals and injuring others.

The other one fell in an open area with no injuries recorded, the agency also said, adding that the authorities were investigating the incident.

On Wednesday, Oman’s state media reported that drones struck fuel tanks in the country’s Salalah port. Tehran denied a role in that attack.

Oman’s state news agency, quoting an energy ministry official, said that there had been no disruption to the continuity of oil supplies or petroleum derivatives in the country.

Private maritime security company Vanguard Tech reported the suspension of the port’s operations after the attack on its southern section.

In the meantime, Saudi forces intercepted a drone on Friday targeting Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter, which houses foreign embassies, the Ministry of Defence said on Friday.

The “hostile drone” was downed “during an attempt to approach the Diplomatic Quarter”, the ministry posted on X.

Three more drones were intercepted elsewhere in Saudi Arabia at about the same time, the ministry said.

A ministry spokesperson said air defences had shot down eight more drones in the central and eastern regions of the country, as well as the al-Kharj governorate and west of the capital, Riyadh.

Earlier, the ministry reported 14 drones were intercepted and destroyed in waves of attempted attacks.

In Dubai, debris fell on the facade of a building in the city centre on Friday morning after an attack was intercepted by the air defences of the United Arab Emirates, according to the Dubai media office, which reported no injuries.

The region has been ignited by war since Israel and the US launched joint attacks on Iran on February 28, killing about 1,300 people and injuring more than 10,000, according to the Iranian authorities.

Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and the Gulf countries hosting US military assets since then.

Lebanon has suffered greatly under relentless Israeli bombardment, which has killed nearly 700 people.