Wednesday July 29, 2026
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia’s federal government on Tuesday strongly condemned drone attacks targeting Saudi Arabia and expressed solidarity with the kingdom.
In a statement, Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Mogadishu was concerned for civilian safety and supported measures taken by Saudi Arabia to safeguard its security, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“The security of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is integral to regional stability and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea,” the ministry said. “Somalia supports all diplomatic efforts to resolve disputes peacefully, calls for restraint to prevent further escalation, and will continue coordinating with regional and international partners to safeguard regional peace and security.”
Saudi Arabia said Monday that its air defenses had intercepted and destroyed several drones launched from Iraqi territory targeting oil facilities in the kingdom.
The Saudi Defense Ministry said the drones were shot down before reaching petroleum facilities in the Eastern Province and the Riyadh region.
The ministry said the attempted attacks originated from Iraqi territory and were carried out by what it described as Iran-backed terrorist militias.
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry condemned the attacks and said the kingdom was determined to safeguard its security and sovereignty, deter aggressors and exercise its right to respond to the source of attacks.
It also called on the Iraqi government to take all necessary measures to ensure that Iraqi territory is not used as a launching point for attacks against Saudi Arabia.
There was no immediate comment from Iraq on the Saudi statement.
The incident comes despite a recent lull in direct military exchanges between the United States and Iran.
Tensions between Washington and Tehran have intensified in recent weeks, with the U.S. carrying out attacks on Iran and Tehran responding by targeting what it said were U.S. military facilities and equipment in countries across the region.