The US embassy in Riyadh says American citizens have been detained for filming “recent events” in Saudi Arabia, which has suffered a string of deadly attacks by Yemen’s Houthis, AFP reports.

The US mission says “American citizens have been detained for taking photos of recent events”, without specifying how many were arrested or whether they have been released.

It notes that Saudi authorities warn that “filming, publishing, or sharing information related to counter missiles and drones and their impact sites exposes you to legal liability”.

Several foreign residents in Riyadh have told AFP that acquaintances were detained for filming recent events and sharing the footage on social media.