A group claiming to be a new militia organisation in Iraq has said it was responsible for an explosive drone attack against the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh.
The statement could not be independently verified, but was reported and praised by news channels linked to official Iran-backed groups.
The US government condemned the attack, saying it appeared to be “an attempt to target civilians,” but gave no further comment.
Saudi Arabia’s Al Ekhbariyah and Al Hadath Television channels reported on Saturday that an unidentified projectile had been intercepted over the city, citing Ministry of Defence sources.
Unverified images on social media later showed streaks of white smoke in the sky and what appeared to have been a small explosion.
Iraqi claims
An Iraqi group calling itself Alwiya Alwaad Al Haq, or the Righteous Pledge Battalion, said the drone attack had been launched “solely by Iraqi hands,” in a statement on its Telegram social media channel.
While there is currently no information on the group, another Iraqi militia group launched in August 2019 first announced its existence on Twitter.
On Tuesday, notorious Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah praised the attack through its Telegram account – suggesting the Righteous Pledge Battalion’s claim may have some veracity. Kataib Hezbollah called on other Iraqi militias to follow the same example. Notably, Kataib Hezbollah was accused in May 2019 of launching its own drone attack against Saudi Arabian oil installations.
The group’s statement was also quickly reported by Sabreen news, a pro-Iran news outlet linked to Iraqi militias.
Iraqi security analyst Hamdi Malik said Sabreen is linked to Asaib Ahl Al Haq, a radical Shiite militia linked to the Popular Mobilisation Forces.
The PMF is a collection of militias ostensibly under Iraqi government command, but many of the groups answer directly to Iran.
Since mid-2019 a number of new militias have emerged in Iraq, including Ashab Ahl Kahf and Usbet Al Thaireen, claiming attacks against US military logistics convoys and the US embassy.
The groups claim they are acting alone – and not at the direction of the PMF or Iran – although many of their statements bear a striking similarity to remarks made by PMF commanders.
These statements often involve threats against Saudi Arabia and outlandish conspiracy theories, using similar terms to Iranian state propaganda. Iranian English-language channel Press TV also translated the Righteous Pledge Battalion’s first statement.
In May 2019, Iraqi militias were suspected of using Jurf Al Sakhar, an area south of Baghdad controlled by Kataib Hezbollah, to launch a drone attack against two oil-pumping stations in Saudi Arabia. The militias would likely have been supplied with Iranian-made drones, some of which have a range in excess of 1,500 kilometres.
Jurf Al Sakhar is now a no-go zone for the Iraqi army which, alongside Iraqi PM Mustafa Al Kadhimi, has increasingly been at odds with the militias.
Mr Al Kadhimi previously ran the Iraqi National Intelligence Agency, raising accusations from some Iran-backed groups that he is an American stooge.
The creation of new Iraqi militias is probably part of a strategy by Iran to deflect blame away from their established allies in Iraq, including Kataib Hezbollah.
Kataib Hezbollah in particular has come under increasing pressure from Mr Al Kadhimi to obey Iraqi government command, respect human rights in Iraq and refrain from attacking US and Coalition forces, which are assisting the Iraqi army against ISIS.
The Bio
Name: Lynn Davison
Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi
Children: She has one son, Casey, 28
Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite Author: CJ Sansom
Favourite holiday destination: Bali
Favourite food: A Sunday roast
MATCH INFO
Schalke 0
Werder Bremen 1 (Bittencourt 32')
Man of the match Leonardo Bittencourt (Werder Bremen)
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
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The biog
Job: Fitness entrepreneur, body-builder and trainer
Favourite superhero: Batman
Favourite quote: We must become the change we want to see, by Mahatma Gandhi.
Favourite car: Lamborghini
