AZE.US
Falling debris from intercepted missiles damaged an administrative tower belonging to Saudi Aramco in Riyadh on Sunday, Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry said. No deaths or injuries were reported.
The debris struck the oil company’s building in the King Abdullah Financial District, causing limited damage, Vesti Baku reports, citing Saudi authorities and Reuters.
A Reuters witness saw windows blown out across several floors of Aramco Tower, one of the tallest buildings in the Saudi capital. Loud explosions had been heard in Riyadh shortly after civil defense authorities issued an early-warning alert. Officials later said the danger had passed.
Missiles Intercepted
The Saudi-led coalition said air defenses intercepted and destroyed two cruise missiles aimed at Riyadh and the kingdom’s southern region.
The coalition blamed Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement for the launches. The Houthis had not claimed responsibility for the attack at the time of publication, so their involvement remained an allegation by the Saudi side.
Warnings were also issued and later lifted in Saudi Arabia’s oil-producing Eastern Province, including Dhahran, where Saudi Aramco is headquartered. The coalition separately said it intercepted a ballistic missile launched toward the Eastern region.
Saudi authorities reported no disruption to oil production or deliveries.
Renewed Escalation
The incident came amid renewed fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis. The coalition says missile and drone attacks on airports, ports and energy infrastructure have intensified, while Saudi aircraft have struck targets in Yemen.
A day earlier, Yemen’s Houthi-run Health Ministry said Saudi strikes near Sanaa killed dozens of people. Those figures were not independently verified, and Saudi authorities said they were reviewing the circumstances.
The Riyadh incident caused no casualties, but it underscored the continuing vulnerability of energy facilities and the capital’s business district even when incoming weapons are intercepted.