Daijiworld Media Network - Dhahran

Dhahran, Oct 14: Saudi Aramco’s administrative building in Dhahran was hit in a missile attack that triggered a limited fire, Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry said on Wednesday, as the kingdom faced a fresh wave of Houthi missile and drone attacks.

No casualties were reported in the incident, while Saudi authorities said they had intercepted missiles and drones targeting several parts of the country.

A company source told Reuters that a ballistic missile struck the Aramco headquarters complex, damaging the top three floors of an office tower. The complex houses a major operations centre overseeing the state-owned oil giant’s network of onshore and offshore oil rigs, pipelines, refineries and export terminals.

The Energy Ministry said authorities responded to the incident late on Tuesday and took the necessary measures to deal with the situation.

The Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted and destroyed a missile over Dhahran, with fragments falling in a residential area. Authorities also reported intercepting and destroying missiles and drones targeting the capital, Riyadh, and the kingdom’s southern region.

In Riyadh, four people, including two women, a man and a child, were injured after fragments from two intercepted Houthi missiles fell in the capital, Saudi Civil Defence said on Wednesday.

The debris also caused limited damage to 15 homes, a Civil Defence spokesperson said.

The latest attacks follow a series of Houthi strikes on Saudi targets over the past week. Riyadh’s international airport has faced four strikes, including a ballistic missile attack on Saturday that killed 13 people.