Houthi missile attacks set Aramco building ablaze and injure four in Riyadh

Fire at the Aramco building in Dhahran

The administration building of Saudi Aramco in Dhahran, the company's headquarters in the Eastern Province, caught fire after an attack on Tuesday evening, 13 October. The energy ministry said the fire was limited and that no one was killed or hurt there. Berliner Zeitung reported that a ballistic missile struck the building, while the Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted two ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis in the province. One of them was aimed at Dhahran, and debris fell on a residential district during the interception. The second was aimed at Harad, a town with oil facilities. The Eastern Province is one of the kingdom's main oil regions, and Handelsblatt noted that Aramco ranks among the largest oil producers in the world.

Missiles and debris over Riyadh

Civil defence in Riyadh said four people were hurt when debris from two intercepted cruise missiles fell on residential areas, damaging 15 houses. Residents had received warnings on their mobile phones about a hostile threat from the air, issued after Houthi threats and an air alarm. A loud explosion was heard in the capital on Tuesday evening. Berliner Zeitung also reported that the coalition had intercepted drones north of Riyadh. The fragments that reached the capital's neighbourhoods were the only reported damage in the city, and no deaths were recorded there.

Coalition strikes in Yemen

The Saudi-led coalition confirmed further strikes on Yemen on Tuesday, according to its spokesman Turki al-Maliki. The targets were an oil facility in Sanaa, the Houthi-controlled capital, and two more installations in Saada and Dhamar, which the coalition said had served Houthi warfare. Before the Sanaa strike, the coalition had told civilians to clear the site, which Berliner Zeitung identified as grounds of the Yemen Petroleum Company. Houthi military spokesman Jahja Saree had promised a response described as harsh and painful, and named as possible targets Riyadh airport, an Aramco refinery and the company's headquarters. The Houthis also urged oil workers in Saudi Arabia to stay away from potential targets.

Ship attacks and the wider conflict

In the Strait of Hormuz, the British maritime agency UKMTO said a tanker and a container ship had been hit by unknown projectiles. It gave no details on casualties or damage at first and said an investigation had been opened. The Houthis belong to Iran's so-called Axis of Resistance. After a truce in 2022, fighting in Yemen had largely stopped, but the conflict flared up again this year during the war between Iran and the United States. In July the Houthis imposed a sea blockade on Saudi Arabia and began attacking Saudi territory and ships. A missile attack on Riyadh's international airport on Saturday, 10 October, injured more than 300 people, and the death toll rose to 13 on Sunday, 11 October. Berliner Zeitung also reported that oil prices rose after the latest attacks.