Saudi Arabia’s air defence systems intercepted missiles targeting Riyadh and other regions on Sunday, November 8, after falling debris damaged a building belonging to state-owned oil giant Saudi Aramco in the capital’s financial district.
The Saudi Ministry of Energy confirmed that the incident caused limited damage to the building, with no injuries or fatalities reported. The attack came amid renewed hostilities between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels.
MISSILES INTERCEPTED OVER RIYADH
The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis said its air defences intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched towards Riyadh.
A Reuters witness reported hearing loud explosions in the Saudi capital shortly after Civil Defence authorities issued an early-warning alert over a potential threat.
Authorities subsequently announced that the danger had passed.
The coalition later reported intercepting additional cruise missiles targeting Riyadh and the kingdom’s southern region.
Saudi officials said falling shrapnel from the attempted attack damaged several floors of an Aramco administrative building in the King Abdullah Financial District, one of the capital’s prominent commercial areas.
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HOUTHIS CLAIM RESPONSIBILITY
Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the attack, describing it as part of their military operations against Saudi Arabia.
The group has intensified missile and drone attacks against Saudi airports, ports and energy infrastructure since fighting between the sides escalated in July.
The latest developments have raised concerns about the security of Saudi Arabia’s critical infrastructure, particularly its oil facilities, as the country remains a major supplier in global energy markets.
Saudi Arabia has also carried out airstrikes against Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen in response to the renewed attacks.
RENEWED FIGHTING RAISES REGIONAL CONCERNS
The escalation comes after reported Saudi-led coalition airstrikes near Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, on Saturday.
Yemen’s Houthi-run health authorities said the strikes killed at least 33 people, including women and children, and wounded dozens more.
Saudi authorities said they were investigating the reported casualties.
The fight has effectively shattered a United Nations-brokered truce established in 2022, which had largely reduced hostilities between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis.
The conflict has also become increasingly connected to the wider Middle East confrontation involving Iran, Israel and the United States, raising concerns about further regional instability.
