Yemen’s Houthi rebels have launched a new wave of missile and drone attacks on Riyadh, striking the landmark Aramco Tower in the Saudi capital’s central financial district.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy said the skyscraper sustained only “minor damage” in Saturday’s assault and that nobody was killed or injured.
However, footage verified by BBC Verify showed more substantial damage to the Saudi Aramco building. Windows had been blown out across several floors, while at least one level appeared to have suffered major damage.
The Houthi-controlled Saba news agency said the group had targeted Riyadh’s business district on Saturday, November 7. It also claimed separate attacks on the capital’s airport and Aramco oil storage facilities.
Saudi authorities said their air defences intercepted and destroyed several missiles during the attacks.
The strikes on Riyadh followed an air raid in Yemen that the Houthis said had killed at least 33 people, including women and children, in al-Shariyah, east of the capital, Sanaa.
According to Saba, 39 people were wounded in that attack. Footage broadcast by the Houthi-run Al Masirah television channel showed rescuers removing bodies from the remains of destroyed buildings.
Saudi Arabia has not commented on the allegation.
The Saudi-led coalition has been fighting the Houthis for more than a decade in support of Yemen’s internationally recognised government. Cross-border attacks have increased since the Houthis became involved in the wider conflict involving Iran.
An informal ceasefire broke down in July after the Tehran-backed group announced a “maritime embargo” on Saudi Arabia. The Houthis then resumed drone and missile attacks against Saudi airports, tankers in the Red Sea and oil infrastructure across the region.
The group said those operations were retaliation for what it described as a Saudi blockade, as well as an earlier Saudi airstrike on Sanaa airport. The Houthis said that attack was intended to prevent an Iranian aircraft from landing.
The latest escalation has further intensified the long-running conflict between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition.
The United Nations says more than 1,600 people have been killed and over 300,000 displaced since major ground and air fighting resumed in Yemen.
