An administrative building belonging to Saudi Aramco in the King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh was damaged in a rocket attack. Windows on several floors were blown out of the façade, according to video verified by CNN. Saudi authorities, however, said the damage was minor and that there were no deaths or injuries.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy described the incident as an attempted attack on an Aramco administrative building. According to the statement, debris fell onto the building, causing minor material damage.
“The incident resulted in debris falling, causing minor damage to the building, with no reports of injuries or deaths,” Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy said.Saudi Civil Defense issued an advance warning of a possible threat over the capital. The Saudi-led coalition said air defenses had intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched toward Riyadh, as well as two cruise missiles aimed at the capital and the southern part of the country.
Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki wrote that the missiles had been launched by the “terrorist Houthi militia.” At the same time, the Iran-backed Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack and said it was part of a series of strikes against Saudi Aramco targets. They also claimed to have attacked Saudi ground forces in several areas of Yemen. Saudi authorities have not confirmed the additional claims.
There is also a discrepancy over the consequences of the strike. Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy reported no casualties, while a witness told CNN that he had seen ambulances heading toward the area. At present, there are no official reports of injuries or deaths.
New escalation between Riyadh and the Houthis
The attack on Riyadh came a day after the Houthi-controlled health ministry reported that at least 33 people, including women and children, had been killed in Saudi airstrikes near Sanaa. “We will punish the Saudi regime for its crimes against the Yemeni people,” senior Houthi official Mahdi al-Mashat said.
The Houthis say they will continue launching missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles at Saudi Arabia as long as the kingdom carries out airstrikes on areas under their control and maintains a blockade against their territories. In October, 13 people were killed in a rocket strike on Riyadh’s international airport, while other attacks on the airport also resulted in casualties.
Saudi Arabia has American fighter jets and Patriot and THAAD missile defense systems, as well as weapons from France and the United Kingdom. The country spent $83 billion on defense in the previous year, placing it among the ten countries with the largest military budgets in the world.
According to analysts, the Houthis combine ballistic and cruise missiles with long-range unmanned aircraft to put a strain on Saudi air defenses. The conflict between the two sides resumed in July, ending the de facto implementation of the UN-brokered ceasefire agreed in 2022.
Sources: edition.cnn.com, apnews.com