WASHINGTON, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. State Department on Wednesday ordered non-emergency U.S. government staff and their family members to leave Saudi Arabia as Houthi attacks intensify.
The ordered departure applies only to Saudi Arabia, not to other countries in the Middle East region, State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott later clarified on X.
The move came amid intensified attacks by the Houthi group against Saudi Arabia, including strikes targeting civilian airports and other critical infrastructure resulting in civilian casualties and severe travel disruptions, the U.S. official noted.
The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh issued a security alert on Wednesday warning of possible further attacks, according to media reports.
Saudi Arabia is currently under a Level 3 U.S. travel advisory, which urges Americans to reconsider travel due to risks including drone and missile attacks, armed conflict and terrorism. ■