Houthi attacks in Saudi Arabia go largely unfilmed

Recent Houthi attacks in Saudi Arabia have gone largely unfilmed in public after repeated government warnings against recording missiles, drones, air defences and impact sites.

Mobile phones in central Riyadh buzzed with warnings of a “hostile aerial attack” before explosions and interceptor missiles crossed the night sky, but AFP reported that most residents refrained from filming. Beyond images released by authorities, photographs of the incidents have not been widely circulated online.

Saudi Arabia has faced near-daily missile and drone attacks by Iran-backed Houthi fighters for more than 10 days, AFP reported. The deadliest recent attack struck Riyadh airport on Saturday, killing 13 people and wounding 300 others in what the item described as the worst attack on the kingdom in more than a decade.

Saudi Arabia's interior ministry has repeatedly warned residents against filming and publishing images of drones, missiles, air defence interceptors and the impact sites of barrages. One ministry message said filming, publishing or sharing information related to countering missiles and drones could expose people to legal liability.

Civil defence authorities said five people were injured earlier this week after debris from interceptor missiles fell over the capital.

Washington said this week that US citizens had been detained in Saudi Arabia after taking photographs of incidents involving attacks. It did not say how many people were detained or whether they remained in custody. Foreign residents also told AFP that people they knew had been arrested after taking photographs or videos and posting them online.

The warnings have added to caution in Riyadh. AFP reported visible anxiety among some metro passengers when warning messages arrived on Sunday evening, while residents described speaking quietly about the attacks. Remote learning was introduced in all schools, and some companies ordered employees to work from home, though restaurants and shopping centres remained busy.