Saudi air defences down Houthi missiles; Aramco building damaged
Saudi Arabia says air defences downed Houthi missiles aimed at Riyadh and the Eastern province, but shrapnel damaged an Aramco building in the capital.
Riyadh — A Saudi Aramco building in Riyadh has been damaged by "falling shrapnel" in what the kingdom's Ministry of Energy called an "attempted" attack, after the Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted several ballistic missiles launched by Yemen's Houthis towards the capital and the Eastern province.
The damaged administrative building stands in the King Abdullah Financial District, several news agencies reported, according to Al Jazeera. Saudi state media, citing a senior energy ministry source, said there were no casualties.
Major-General Turki al-Maliki, the coalition's spokesperson, said in posts on X that two missiles were launched towards Riyadh and a third targeted the Eastern province, home to much of the kingdom's oil infrastructure. Air defences also intercepted two missiles in the southern region and a Houthi drone, he said.
The strikes are part of a wider Houthi campaign against Saudi targets since a truce in Yemen's war collapsed in July. The group has hit Riyadh and Dammam airports and the Ras Tanura and Rabigh refineries; at least 13 people were killed and more than 300 wounded in a strike on Riyadh's airport on October 10, Al Jazeera reported.
The exchange comes as fighting intensifies inside Yemen. The Houthi-run health ministry said 33 people, including eight women and 13 children, were killed in coalition air attacks on the village of al-Shariyah near Sanaa on Saturday; the coalition did not immediately comment and Al Jazeera said it could not independently verify the reports. Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed 105 coalition strikes in 24 hours, taking the total since the escalation began to 4,369.
According to the United Nations, more than 1,600 people have been killed and almost 300,000 displaced since the 2022 ceasefire collapsed after the Houthis announced a blockade of Saudi ports. Government forces last month launched the Dawn of Yemen operation to retake Houthi-held territory, including Sanaa. The next test will be whether the government offensive — and further Houthi salvos at Saudi oil and airport sites — shifts either side towards a new ceasefire track.
Sources
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