Aramco Tower Hit by Shrapnel as Houthis Fire Missiles at Riyadh

A window on Saudi Arabia’s state oil giant Aramco was blown out on Sunday when shrapnel from a Houthi missile attack struck the company’s administrative tower in Riyadh. An official from the Energy Ministry confirmed the damage was minor and reported no injuries or deaths among the building's occupants. The incident occurred in the King Abdullah Financial District, a central business hub in the capital.

Saudi Civil Defence issued an early-warning alert after residents heard loud explosions across the city. Authorities later announced that the immediate danger had passed. The Saudi-led coalition stated that its air defense systems intercepted two ballistic missiles aimed at Riyadh. It also reported destroying two cruise missiles over the capital and the kingdom's southern region.

Coalition spokesperson Major-General Turki al-Maliki noted that a separate ballistic missile targeting the Eastern Province was also intercepted. These interceptions represent the most recent round of strikes in a widening conflict between the Saudi-backed forces and Yemen’s Ansar Allah movement. The fighting has intensified following the breakdown of a truce signed in 2022.

The missile attacks followed a day of heavy coalition airstrikes in Yemen. The Houthi-run Health Ministry said coalition strikes killed at least 33 people in the village of al-Shariyah near Sanaa. Health Ministry spokesperson Anees al-Asbahi said the victims included eight women and 13 children. He reported that 39 others were wounded in attacks on homes, roads, and emergency response teams in the Bani Hushaish district.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed the coalition conducted 105 air strikes and missile attacks over the previous 24 hours. He targeted Sanaa and seven other governorates. Saree said the total number of attacks since the current escalation began has reached 4,369. He also stated that Houthi forces carried out six operations against Aramco facilities, Riyadh airport, and military positions on both sides of the border.

The current surge in violence follows a military campaign launched last month by Yemen’s internationally recognized government. The goal of that campaign is to retake territory controlled by the Houthis, including the capital city of Sanaa, which the group has held since 2014. Al Jazeera reported that it could not independently verify the casualty figures provided by the Houthi Health Ministry.