Iraqi rocket attacks on Saudi Arabia
Part of the Gulf War

Aftermath of an Iraqi missile attack on a US barracks in Dhahran on 25 February 1991
Date18 January – 26 February 1991
Location
Dhahran and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Belligerents
Iraq Iraq  Saudi Arabia
 United States
Strength
46 al-Husayn missiles US Patriot air defence
Casualties and losses
None United States 28 soldiers killed
United States 150 soldiers injured
1 civilian killed
85 civilians injured

Between 18 January and 26 February 1991, Ba'athist Iraq launched 46 al-Husayn Scud missiles against Saudi Arabian and American military targets in Dhahran and the Saudi capital of Riyadh amidst the Gulf War. Attacks began hours after US General Norman Schwarzkopf emphasized large-scale efforts taken to comb the vast expanses of western Iraq for rocket attacks aimed at Israel.[1] Although the attacks were largely inaccurate, the missiles caused 28 of the 148 United States battle deaths during the Gulf War.[2] Most of the Iraqi missiles were aimed at military targets in Saudi Arabia, inflicting a very low death toll on civilian populations.[3]

Attacks

The first Iraqi missile was launched at Saudi Arabia on 18 January, although it was destroyed in the sky above Dhahran Air Base by US Patriot air-defence missiles. On the night of 20 January, US Patriot air-defence missiles intercepted nine Iraqi Scud missiles fired at major Saudi cities and military installations, including five rocketed at Dhahran and four rocketed at Riyadh. A tenth Scud missile landed in the Persian Gulf.[1] The Saudi Press Agency reported that the attack on Riyadh slightly injured 12 people as a result of "some shrapnel" which "fell on a building in one of the districts of Riyadh".[3]

On 25 January, Iraq launched two missiles at Riyadh. Both missiles were detected, although only one was intercepted in the air by a Patriot, while the other was not. The second missile totally destroyed one wing of the six-story Ministry of Interior Civil Records building, consequently killing one Saudi citizen and injuring 30 people of different nationalities. During the next three days, two Iraqi missiles fired at Saudi Arabia were intercepted. On 3 February, an Iraqi missile hit Riyadh at 1:00 am, slightly injuring 29 people, mostly due to splinters of glass windows.[3]

The missile attack on Hafar al-Batin on 14 February was the last attack that inflicted civilian casualties or damage in Saudi Arabia or other areas in the Gulf. Prior to the attack on 25 February, Iraqi Scud missile attacks killed one person and injured about 85.[4]

On 25 February, an Iraqi Scud missile hit a makeshift United States barracks in Dhahran overnight. 28 American soldiers were killed, 110 were hospitalized and 150 experienced minor physical injuries. This attack caused the highest number of casualties since Iraq started launching Scud missiles against Saudi Arabia on 18 January. This one Scud's impact accounted for more than a third of all US soldiers killed during the Gulf War.[5] According to CNN, an Iraqi Information Ministry official stated that missiles were aimed at Dhahran "to punish those who gave up honor". US military officials refused to discuss the incident and confiscated news photographers' film.[4]

Casualties

The missile attacks took a very low death toll on Saudi Arabia's civilian population. Only one Saudi civilian was reported killed in Riyadh on 25 January, and another 77 were lightly injured. Reports of civilian casualties ceased after an attack on 14 February that lightly injured four people in Hafar al-Batin.[3] Iraqi missiles caused 28 of the 148 United States battle deaths during the Gulf War.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 Moore, Molly. "U.S. Missiles Knock Down Nine Scuds Over Saudi Cities". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
  2. 1 2 Rostker, Bernard (2000). "Information Paper: Iraq's Scud Ballistic Missiles". Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control from 2000 to 2006. Archived from the original on 14 May 2011. Retrieved 21 May 2009.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Civilian Casualties and Damage: Saudi Arabia". www.hrw.org. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
  4. 1 2 Claiborne, William. "Scud Kills 27 GIs at Dhahran Billet". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
  5. ↑ Humphrey, J. C. (May 1999). "Casualty management: scud missile attack, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia". Military Medicine. 164 (5): 322–326. ISSN 0026-4075. PMID 10332169.
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