Saudi Aramco tower damaged in attempted Riyadh attack

An administrative building belonging to Saudi Arabia’s state-owned oil company, Saudi Aramco, was damaged in Riyadh on Sunday after debris fell during an attempted attack. No casualties were reported, according to the kingdom’s Energy Ministry.

Several floors of the Aramco Tower in Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District sustained damage, with windows blown out following the incident. The ministry described the damage as limited.

The incident occurred shortly after Saudi Arabia’s air defence systems intercepted two missiles fired towards Riyadh, according to the Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthi movement.

Residents reported hearing several loud explosions in the capital earlier in the day. Saudi Civil Defence had issued an early warning of a potential threat before later confirming that the danger had passed.

The coalition subsequently announced that two cruise missiles had been intercepted and destroyed over Riyadh and the kingdom’s southern region.

Saudi authorities also issued and later lifted security alerts in several locations across the Eastern Province, including Dhahran, where Aramco maintains its headquarters. The province contains most of Saudi Arabia’s oil and gas reserves.

The latest incident comes amid a sharp escalation in hostilities between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, ending a United Nations-brokered truce that had largely halted fighting since 2022.

The latest developments followed reports of deadly Saudi airstrikes near Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, on Saturday.

The Houthi-run Saba news agency reported that at least 33 people were killed and 39 others injured in strikes targeting homes in Bani Hushaysh, an area east of Sanaa.

The Houthi-run health ministry said women and children were among the majority of those killed. It also claimed that several people remained trapped beneath the rubble.

Reuters could not independently verify the reported casualties, while Saudi Arabia’s Center for International Communication said it was investigating the incident.

Abdul-Aziz al-Dailami, director of Sehatuna Hospital in Sanaa, said medical teams had received several critically injured people with head, chest and leg injuries. He also claimed that rescuers had come under repeated attacks while attempting to reach victims.

Meanwhile, Yemen’s internationally recognised government forces claimed to have conducted 875 military operations against Houthi positions in recent hours.

Military spokesman Majed al-Nazili said the operations had killed or incapacitated 130 Houthi fighters and commanders.

He said the campaign, launched under the name Operation Dawn of Yemen, targeted militant positions, reinforcements and military equipment with support from aircraft, drones and artillery.

According to the military, around 50 vehicles and pieces of equipment, including missile launchers, were destroyed or damaged.

Government forces and allied Popular Resistance fighters also continued operations in Taiz, Marib and Al-Jawf provinces, targeting Houthi positions and movements.

The military said precautions were being taken to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure. The Houthis had not immediately responded to the military’s claims.

Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen in 2015 at the head of a coalition supporting the internationally recognised government after Houthi fighters seized Sanaa.

The renewed confrontation has intensified regional security concerns, particularly over attacks targeting Saudi territory and critical oil infrastructure.