PH condemns ‘inhumane’ missile attacks in Saudi

MANILA – The Philippine government, through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) condemned as “unjustified” and “inhumane” the recent missile attacks directed at Saudi Arabia.

“The repeated attacks targeting civilian facilities and installations are unjustified and inhumane. The Philippine government calls on all parties to exercise restraint and settle their differences amicably in order to avoid further loss of lives and property,” the DFA said in a statement dated March 10 and released Thursday.

On March 7, Saudi Arabia intercepted a missile and drone attack launched by Houthi rebels that targeted its oil installations in Ras Tanura and Dhahran.

The state-run Saudi Press Agency said shrapnel from the ballistic missile fell near Saudi Aramco’s residential area in Dhahran, where thousands of the company’s employees reside, but no casualties or loss of property were recorded.

In a separate statement, the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh advised all Filipinos in the Kingdom to “remain observant of their surroundings, immediately seek cover upon hearing explosions or extremely loud noises, and stay away from any debris or damaged structures caused by missile/drone attacks.”

“The Embassy shall continue to provide the Filipino community significant updates on this matter,” it said.

The conflict in Yemen escalated in 2015 when an international coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened at the request of Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi against opposition forces.

Saudi Arabia, which hosts almost a million Filipino workers, has repeatedly been targeted by Houthi rebels fighting the coalition supporting Hadi.