Intercepted Houthi missile debris damages Aramco tower in Riyadh

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy said an administrative building belonging to Saudi Aramco in Riyadh sustained limited damage from debris after an attempted attack. No one was injured.

An administrative building belonging to state oil company Saudi Aramco in Riyadh was damaged on Sunday by falling debris after an attempted attack, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy said. The ministry said the damage was limited and that there were no injuries or fatalities.

A Reuters correspondent saw shattered windows on several floors of the Aramco tower, one of the tallest buildings in the King Abdullah Financial District. Several loud explosions were heard in the city beforehand: civil defense issued an early warning of a possible threat and later said the danger had passed.

Панорама Эр-Рияда и финансового района имени короля Абдаллы (архив)

The Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted and destroyed two cruise missiles launched by Yemen’s Houthis toward Riyadh and the south of the kingdom. Aramco and the Houthis did not immediately comment on the incident.

The Houthis intensified missile strikes and drone attacks on Saudi airports, ports and oil facilities after fighting resumed in July. Aramco’s headquarters in Dhahran was seriously damaged in October, while a strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on October 10 killed 13 people and injured more than 300.

The escalation came a day after the Houthi-controlled health ministry said at least 33 people had been killed in Saudi airstrikes near Sanaa. Saudi authorities said they were checking the information.