Three small boats entered Saudi Arabia’s territorial waters on Friday, prompting security forces to open fire after they failed to comply with their demand to halt.

The incident happened at about 8:30 pm on Friday when three small boats entered Saudi territorial waters and “headed at speed towards platforms of (the) Saudi oil field of Marjan”, a government statement said according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

Saudi naval forces fired warning shots and captured one of the vessels but two escaped, the statement added.

The seized craft was “loaded with weapons for subversive purposes”, it said, but gave no details.

The statement said the boats carried “red and white flags”.

A government source stressed “the Kingdom’s keenness on combating terrorism and confronting subversive acts in its constant mission to preserve national security against any assault.”