Dubai: Saudi Arabia's air defences intercepted incoming missiles targeting Riyadh and other regions on Sunday, with falling debris causing minor damage to an administrative building belonging to state-owned oil giant Saudi Aramco in the capital's financial district.
The Saudi Ministry of Energy confirmed that the building was damaged in an attempted attack but said there were no injuries or fatalities. Authorities responded promptly and took the necessary measures, the ministry said.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree subsequently claimed that the group had carried out six military operations involving ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones targeting strategic and military installations across Saudi Arabia.
Saree said the first operation targeted King Khalid International Airport, oil storage facilities and an Aramco distillation tower in Riyadh. He also claimed that subsequent operations targeted Aramco facilities in Khurais, Pumping Station No. 8 in Dawadmi, a National Guard camp in Najran and military positions in other areas.
The Houthi spokesperson further claimed that the sixth operation targeted Saudi military personnel in Yemen's Marib Governorate, alleging that several were killed or wounded. These claims have not been independently verified.
Earlier, the Saudi-led coalition said its air defences had intercepted two ballistic missiles and two cruise missiles targeting Riyadh and other regions. It also reported intercepting a ballistic missile targeting the kingdom's southern region, which borders Yemen.
The latest developments follow Saudi airstrikes near Sanaa, Yemen's capital, on Saturday. Houthi officials said the strikes killed at least 27 people.
In a separate statement, Saree alleged that Saudi Arabia had carried out 105 airstrikes and missile attacks across several Yemeni governorates in the preceding 24 hours, leaving dozens of civilians dead and wounded. He claimed the total number of Saudi attacks since the latest escalation had reached 4,369. These figures and casualty claims could not be independently verified.
The Houthi spokesperson threatened further attacks inside Saudi territory, warning of continued escalation in response to what the group described as Saudi aggression against Yemen.
The renewed exchanges come amid the breakdown of a 2022 truce that had paused fighting in Yemen's long-running civil war.
Other major West Asian developments:
Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said it had rescued 22 crew members after a cargo vessel caught fire in the Sea of Oman.
The UAE National Guard said all the crew members, who were of Arab nationalities, were in stable condition after receiving first aid. It did not identify the vessel or specify the cause of the fire.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which monitors maritime security incidents, separately reported that a tanker caught fire on Saturday about eight nautical miles northwest of Khasab, Oman, prompting the evacuation of its crew. It was not immediately clear whether the vessel was the same ship involved in the UAE rescue.
The incident comes amid heightened risks to commercial shipping in the region. On Saturday, US forces disabled a St Kitts-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman, saying it had attempted to breach the US naval blockade of Iran.
Separately, Iran's military said two tankers had struck mines in the Strait of Hormuz and caught fire. It did not identify the vessels or provide further details.
Separately, Yemen's internationally recognised government urged Lebanon to take coordinated measures to prevent Hezbollah from allegedly providing military assistance to the Houthi movement.
Yemen's Foreign Minister Afrah Al-Zouba called for cooperation between the security and intelligence agencies of the two countries to prevent further support for Houthi military operations.
(With agency inputs from ANI and PTI)