Aramco building attacked after Saudi-led coalition hits Houthi site

On Tuesday night, a missile attack targeted an administrative building belonging to Saudi Arabia's state oil company, Aramco, in Dhahran, causing a fire but no casualties, according to the Saudi Press Agency. The incident occurred during intensified fighting between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The military responded to the attack, with no deaths or injuries reported.

Debris from two cruise missiles intercepted and destroyed over Riyadh injured four people, including two women, a man, and a child. The site of the attack was identified as Aramco's executive headquarters, though confirmation from Aramco or Saudi authorities was pending.

The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis in Yemen separately reported intercepting and destroying a ballistic missile launched towards Dhahran, with debris landing in a residential area. Additionally, the coalition mentioned intercepting a missile targeting Haradh and three drones north of Riyadh's capital. The coalition also claimed to have carried out operations against energy sites in Houthi-held areas of Yemen, targeting the Al Sabahah station in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, and fuel loading facilities at Hodeidah's Red Sea port.

Accusing the Houthis of exploiting civilian infrastructure to sustain their military operations, the coalition spokesman, Maj Gen Turki Al Malki, highlighted the use of facilities like the Al Sabaha central station in Sanaa, underground strategic fuel reserves, and fuel-loading berths in Hodeidah, Sanaa, and Dhamar. Surveillance video from social media showed a significant orange fireball erupting above Sanaa, followed by a massive column of thick black smoke.

The strikes followed a warning from the coalition to civilians near the oil facility to evacuate for safety. The extent of the damage to the site and its impact on fuel supplies remained unclear. The Houthis claimed to have dispersed fuel reserves before the attack, though this claim lacked independent verification. Saudi Arabia has faced similar attacks before, including a refinery shut down in Jazan and a key oil export port on the Red Sea coast targeted.

In September, a cross-country pipeline used by Aramco to transport crude to export markets was temporarily shut following an attack launched from Iraq, which is crucial for alternative oil export routes when Gulf shipping faces disruptions.