Saudi Arabia has reported that it successfully intercepted missiles targeting its capital, Riyadh, and other locations on Sunday. Debris from the fallen missiles struck a building in the financial district of Riyadh, which is owned by the national oil giant Saudi Aramco. Fortunately, while the building was damaged, there were no reported injuries or fatalities.
A reporter from Reuters, who was present at the scene, observed that multiple windows were shattered on several floors of the Aramco Tower, located in the King Abdullah Financial District of Riyadh. This tower stands out as one of the tallest buildings in the capital.
The Saudi Ministry of Energy stated that the damage caused by the incident was limited. Earlier, a Saudi-led coalition had announced that it had intercepted two missiles launched by the Houthi rebels toward Riyadh.
Witnesses reported hearing several loud explosions in Riyadh earlier in the day. Just prior to these events, Saudi civil defense authorities had issued a warning regarding potential threats in the area. Subsequently, officials announced that the danger had been averted.
On the same day, the Iran-backed Houthi forces claimed responsibility for attacks targeting the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, oil storage facilities operated by Saudi Aramco, and a financial center in the capital.
Since the resumption of hostilities in July, the Houthis have intensified their missile and drone assaults on Saudi airports, ports, and oil installations. In response, Saudi forces have conducted airstrikes against Houthi targets within Yemen.
Earlier on Sunday, Saudi civil defense issued alerts in multiple areas of the oil-rich Eastern Province, which were later lifted. The affected regions included Dhahran, where the headquarters of Saudi Aramco is located.
The Eastern Province is home to the majority of the nation’s oil and gas reserves. A previous attack in October resulted in significant damage to the Saudi Aramco headquarters.
In Yemen, a Saudi-backed coalition is working to prevent the Houthi forces from advancing southward toward the port city of Aden, which is controlled by the internationally recognized government of Yemen. The Houthis captured a section of the Yemeni Red Sea coast in September and have increasingly utilized missile strikes against airports in the Aden region in recent weeks.
As tensions in the region escalate, the implications of these attacks and counterattacks continue to reverberate throughout the Middle East, raising concerns about the ongoing conflict in Yemen and its impact on neighboring countries.