A Saudi Aramco administrative building in Riyadh was damaged by falling shrapnel in what Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry called an attempted attack on Sunday, Nov. 8, the ministry said, according to Arab News and Asharq Al-Awsat. The ministry said no one was injured or killed. The Saudi-led coalition said the same morning that its air defenses had destroyed missiles launched by Yemen’s Houthis toward Riyadh, Agence France-Presse reported.
Related: Houthis Say Saudi Strikes Near Sanaa Killed 33 as Coalition Downs Missile Aimed at Riyadh.
What the ministry said, and what witnesses described
An Energy Ministry official said the attempt “resulted in shrapnel falling on the building and causing limited damage to it without any injuries,” Arab News reported. Asharq Al-Awsat described the damage, citing the ministry, as minor.
A witness told AFP that multiple floors of the Aramco tower appeared to have sustained damage, with glass shattered and part of the facade damaged, according to AFP’s report carried by Ada Derana. Several news agencies reported that the damaged tower stood in the King Abdullah Financial District, Al Jazeera said.
AFP described the attempt as an attack by Yemen’s Houthis. Loud explosions were heard in the Saudi capital, AFP reported. The district contains residential housing and a large metro station, according to AFP.
What the coalition said it intercepted
Coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki said air defenses destroyed two ballistic missiles fired toward Riyadh, AFP and Arab News reported. He also said two cruise missiles and a drone were intercepted in the Riyadh and southern regions, Arab News reported. Al Jazeera reported that another missile targeted the Eastern Province.
Saudi Civil Defense said the threat had passed in Dammam, Dhahran, Buqayq and Al-Hofuf after an emergency alert, Asharq Al-Awsat reported. Saudi Arabia’s education ministry had announced late Saturday a return to in-person schooling in Riyadh after weeks of remote learning, AFP reported.
Fighting across Yemen
The 2022 truce in Yemen collapsed in July, AFP reported. The United Nations says more than 1,600 people have been killed since fighting resumed, according to AFP and Al Jazeera. The U.N. displacement figure was reported as “almost 300,000” by Al Jazeera and “more than 300,000” by AFP.
At least 13 people were killed and more than 300 wounded in a Houthi strike on Riyadh’s airport on Oct. 10, Al Jazeera reported.
Unverified claim (source label): Houthi-run Health Ministry spokesman Anees al-Asbahi said Saudi-led air attacks on the village of al-Shariyah, near Sanaa, killed 33 people on Saturday and wounded at least 39, Al Jazeera reported. Al Jazeera said it could not independently verify the reports. The coalition had not commented, the outlet said.
Unverified claim (source label): Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the coalition had carried out 105 air strikes and missile attacks in 24 hours, bringing the total since the escalation began to 4,369, Al Jazeera reported.
An attack on a market in Taiz province killed 30 people on Friday, Al Jazeera reported. The Houthis blamed Saudi air strikes, while Yemeni government forces accused the Houthis of firing a ballistic missile at the site, the outlet said.
What happens next
The ministry said relevant authorities had begun dealing with the incident, Arab News reported. For more coverage, see the Middle East news hub and the Iran war tracker.
Sources
- Arab News: Aramco building in Riyadh targeted, Saudi energy ministry says
- Asharq Al-Awsat: Energy Ministry: Minor Damage in Attempted Attack on Saudi Aramco Building in Riyadh
- Al Jazeera: Saudi Aramco building in Riyadh damaged in ‘attempted’ attack
- Ada Derana (AFP): Riyadh financial district targeted, Aramco tower damaged
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