The Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh became the scene of an unusual shooting as the security forces stationed near the palace of King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud opened fire on a tiny toy drone, according to media reports.
The Saudi authorities claimed that the altercation was caused by the drone flying too close to the king’s residence, thus prompting the security forces to shoot it down.
No coup attempt in Riyadh. A toy drone/plane got too close too the King’s palace and was shot down. #SaudiArabia #Riyadh
— Margherita Stancati (@margheritamvs) 21 апреля 2018 г.
Earlier several local media outlets even reported that King Salman himself was evacuated to a nearby military installation during the shooting, with Saudi analyst Ali al-Ahmed naming the King Khaled base as the monarch’s destination.
Confirmed by @GhanemAlmasarir. #Saudi @KingSalman moved to King Khaled military base. https://t.co/v2m6nVsC3S @ForeignAffairs
— Ali AlAhmed (@AliAlAhmed_en) 21 апреля 2018 г.
However, a Saudi official told Reuters that the king apparently was not in the palace during this incident.