Pakistan condemns Houthi attack on Saudi Aramco building

Pakistan on Monday strongly condemned the attempted Houthi attack on a Saudi Aramco administrative building in Riyadh, expressing concern over the targeting of civilian infrastructure and reaffirming its support for Saudi Arabia’s security and sovereignty.

The attack, claimed by Yemen’s Houthi movement, damaged Saudi Aramco’s corporate tower in Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District on Sunday. Several floors of the building suffered broken windows. No casualties were reported.

In a statement issued on X, the Foreign Office (FO) described the attack as unjustifiable and called on the Houthis to immediately and unconditionally halt all attacks against Saudi Arabia.

The FO said targeting civilian facilities reflected a reckless disregard for human life and regional security. It also praised Saudi authorities for their vigilance and swift response to the incident.

Pakistan reaffirmed its unwavering support for the Saudi leadership and people, stressing that it stood alongside the kingdom in taking all necessary measures to protect its security, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

“The security of Saudi Arabia is of paramount importance to Pakistan,” the statement said, adding that Islamabad’s commitment to the safety and well-being of the Saudi people remained firm.

Pakistan’s condemnation comes amid renewed hostilities between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia. The Saudi-led coalition has accused the Yemeni group of carrying out 20 attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh during October. The reported attacks killed 17 people and injured 333 others.

Abha Airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia has also come under attack as tensions intensified in the region.

Yemen’s civil war resumed in July following the collapse of a United Nations-brokered truce, against the backdrop of a wider conflict in the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia and the internationally recognised Yemeni government have reported hundreds of strikes against Houthi-controlled areas since the renewed fighting began. The Houthis, however, claim that the strikes have killed civilians, including women and children. These claims could not be independently verified by Reuters.

Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen’s civil war in 2015, leading an Arab military coalition to support the internationally recognised government and push the Houthis out of the capital, Sanaa.

The conflict developed into a prolonged and devastating stalemate, with fighting and famine claiming hundreds of thousands of lives.

A ceasefire agreement reached between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis in 2022 gradually unravelled this summer. The renewed fighting has further destabilised Yemen, with Houthi forces reportedly making rapid advances towards the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key shipping passage connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.