Riyadh: Explosions shook the Saudi capital on Wednesday as Yemen’s Houthis threatened further attacks on airports and oil facilities, following a strike on a building in Saudi Aramco’s headquarters complex in Dhahran.
The Saudi led coalition said it intercepted a missile heading towards Riyadh. Residents received phone alerts warning of an aerial threat and urging them to take shelter. The warning was lifted minutes later.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group had used ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones to target Aramco facilities in Dhahran, Riyadh’s airport and a refinery in the capital. He threatened further operations in the coming days.
A Saudi energy ministry official confirmed that an Aramco building had been struck, causing a limited fire without casualties.
Two company employees told that a tower in the headquarters complex was hit. One said its top three floors had been destroyed, but the extent of the damage could not be independently verified.
The coalition also struck oil facilities in western Yemen. Spokesman Turki Al Malki said the sites supported Houthi operations threatening Saudi Arabia and regional waterways.
An AFP correspondent also heard an explosion in Sanaa, where residents queued at petrol stations amid fears of shortages.
The escalation follows Saturday’s attack on Riyadh’s international airport, which killed 13 people.
France advised its citizens on Tuesday to avoid Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam airports. Schools shifted to remote learning, while some companies introduced work from home arrangements.
The fighting adds pressure to an economy already affected by disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. The IMF said on Tuesday that Saudi GDP was expected to contract by 3.3 percent this year.
