An Italian military aircraft was damaged during attacks on an air base in Saudi Arabia, although no Italian personnel were injured, Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said on Friday.
Crosetto said he was closely monitoring developments at the Taif air base, which had come under multiple attacks and hosts Italian personnel deployed as part of Operation Inherent Resolve.
“During the attack, an Italian F-2000 aircraft was hit. It was inside the base, in a remote area. There is no other damage to vehicles or infrastructure used by our personnel,” Crosetto said, according to Italian news agency ANSA.
He stressed that no Italian military personnel had been involved or injured in the incident.
The defence minister said he had requested further assessments of the developing security situation, the condition of Italian personnel and the operational options available.
Crosetto added that he had received assurances that measures to protect Italian military personnel had already been implemented.
“The situation is being followed with the utmost attention, with the aim of ensuring the full protection of our personnel and operating with the necessary responsibility,” he said.
The incident comes amid a series of missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia that have been attributed to Yemen’s Houthis as regional tensions intensify.
Fighting inside Yemen has also escalated since early July, with renewed clashes between government forces and the Houthis bringing an end to much of the relative calm that had prevailed since a UN-brokered truce took effect in April 2022.