A building belonging to Aramco in the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) in Riyadh was targeted in an attempted attack today. The Saudi Ministry of Energy announced that this incident resulted in damage to the building. Eyewitnesses told news agencies that the skyscraper was damaged and evidence of the harm inflicted on it was observed.
Continued Houthi Attacks on Saudi Infrastructure
According to witnesses, "the Aramco Tower in KAFD has been targeted," and two other witnesses confirmed that damage had been inflicted on the building. In recent months, Aramco facilities and infrastructure have been repeatedly attacked by the Houthis. This group has targeted oil facilities, refineries, and warehouses of the company in recent months.
Read more: Saudi coalition diverts Houthi missiles in Riyadh and the Eastern Province
The 2022 ceasefire agreement that had halted the fighting in Yemen has been broken since last July. Since then, Saudi Arabia and the Houthis have exchanged fire, while the Houthis have attacked airports, energy infrastructure, and military bases in Saudi Arabia.
Consequences of the Attack and Saudi Government Response
An eyewitness near the Aramco skyscraper said he observed a projectile that struck the building but could not identify its type. The Saudi Ministry of Energy stated in a press release that "an office building belonging to Aramco in Riyadh was targeted in an unsuccessful attack today" and added that "the incident resulted in falling debris that caused minor damage to the building, and fortunately, no injuries or fatalities have been reported."
This attack occurred hours after the Saudi Ministry of Education announced that in-person education in Riyadh would soon resume. Additionally, the spokesperson for the Saudi coalition, Turki al-Maliki, announced in a media post on Sunday morning that "air defense systems intercepted two ballistic missiles fired by the Houthi group towards Riyadh," while loud explosions were heard in the Saudi capital.
Saudi Arabia has increased its requests for assistance from its allies to counter the daily Houthi attacks, which have recently captured parts of the Red Sea coast from the government backed by Riyadh. According to Yemeni officials, thousands of Syrian forces are set to be deployed to Saudi Arabia and Yemen, some of whom are already present in the region.
The United Nations has reported that since the resumption of fighting in Yemen, more than 1,600 people have been killed and over 300,000 displaced. The fighting began after the Houthis allowed an Iranian airplane to land in Yemen's capital, Sana'a, which contradicted Saudi control over Yemen's airspace, leading to an escalation of attacks.
Subsequently, the Houthis announced that they had imposed a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia and attacked ships, land, and oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, capturing the entire Red Sea coast of Yemen in a swift operation.
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