An administrative building belonging to Saudi Aramco in Riyadh was damaged in a missile attack on Sunday, November 8. Footage from the scene shows shattered windows and damage to several of the building’s upper floors in the King Abdullah Financial District.
CNN reports that, according to eyewitnesses and geolocated video footage, the building was hit by a missile. Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy, however, used different wording, stating that an Aramco administrative building had been targeted in an attempted attack during which debris or shrapnel fell onto it.
“The incident caused minor damage to the building, with no reports of injuries or deaths,” a source from the Ministry of Energy told the Saudi Press Agency SPA. The official information does not state that the building was hit directly by a missile.
Saudi-led coalition reports intercepting missiles
The Saudi-led coalition said that air defenses had intercepted two ballistic missiles and two cruise missiles aimed at Riyadh and other areas of the country. Debris falling in the capital was recorded against the backdrop of these interceptions. Saudi authorities reported material damage, but no casualties.
Reuters also reported shattered windows on several floors of the Aramco tower, noting that it was initially unclear whether the building had been hit directly or by debris following a missile interception.
Houthis say they attacked targets in Saudi Arabia
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said on the social network X that the group had carried out strikes against targets in Saudi Arabia. According to The Associated Press, he named Riyadh’s financial district among the targets.
The Houthis presented the attack as a response to Saudi strikes in Yemen, which they claim caused casualties in a village and at a market. These claims about the reasons for and results of the strikes have not been independently verified.
The discrepancy remains between the official Saudi version that the damage was caused by falling debris and CNN’s information about a missile strike. It has been confirmed that the building sustained material damage, while the published information contains no reports of deaths or injuries.
Sources: kvia.com, apnews.com, investing.com