RIYADH: Saudi Arabian security forces shot down a toy drone in the capital Riyadh on Saturday, a senior Saudi official and the state news agency said, after videos were posted online showing gunfire in a neighbourhood where a royal palace is located.

Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz was not present in the palace at the time of the drone incident, senior officials said.

A spokesman for the Riyadh police said forces at a checkpoint in the Khozama district identified the drone and “dealt with it according to their orders”, state news agency said without specifying if there were any injuries or damage.

The state-run Saudi Press Agency wrote on Twitter that an investigation into the incident was under way.

The incident by some posts on Twitter was being interpreted as a coup attempt in the kingdom.

Published in Dawn, April 22nd, 2018