Aramco Tower Damaged by Shrapnel After Houthi Missiles Strike Riyadh
Saudi air defenses intercepted four missiles on Sunday, with debris hitting the state oil giant's headquarters in the capital.
By Amina Yusuf ·
Shrapnel from intercepted Houthi missiles damaged the administrative building of Saudi Aramco in Riyadh on Sunday. A Saudi Energy Ministry official stated that the tower sustained minor structural damage when falling debris struck the structure. No injuries or deaths were reported at the site, and authorities said they had completed necessary safety measures.
Witnesses described the physical impact on the Aramco Tower, located in the King Abdullah Financial District. A Reuters correspondent noted that windows were blown out across several floors of the building. Loud explosions were heard throughout the capital, prompting an early warning alert from Saudi Civil Defence. Officials later announced that the immediate danger had passed.
The Saudi-led coalition announced that its air defense systems engaged four missiles over Saudi territory on Sunday. The group reported intercepting and destroying two ballistic missiles aimed at Riyadh. It also confirmed the destruction of two cruise missiles, with one shot down in the capital and the other in the kingdom's southern region. Earlier in the day, coalition spokesperson Major-General Turki al-Maliki said a separate ballistic missile targeting the Eastern Province was also intercepted.
The attacks occurred as tensions rose following the collapse of a 2022 truce between the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthi movement, also known as Ansar Allah. The conflict has seen renewed military operations in Yemen. The Houthi-run Health Ministry reported that coalition airstrikes killed at least 33 people in the village of al-Shariyah near Sanaa on Saturday. Health Ministry spokesperson Anees al-Asbahi said 39 others were wounded in the strikes, which he said targeted homes, roads, and emergency response teams in the Bani Hushaish district.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed the coalition conducted 105 air and missile strikes over a 24-hour period. He stated that these attacks targeted Sanaa and seven other governorates. Saree said the total number of coalition attacks since the latest escalation began has reached 4,369. He further claimed that Houthi forces carried out six operations targeting Aramco facilities, Riyadh airport, and Saudi military positions on both sides of the border.
The current fighting follows a campaign launched last month by Yemen's internationally recognized government. The goal of that campaign is to retake territory held by the Houthis, including the capital, Sanaa, which the group has controlled since 2014. Al Jazeera said it could not independently verify the casualty figures provided by the Houthi Health Ministry. The Saudi-led coalition did not immediately comment on the reported Saturday strikes.
