AMMAN — An administrative building belonging to Saudi Aramco in Riyadh was targeted in an attempted attack on Sunday, causing limited damage but no casualties, the Saudi Ministry of Energy said.

 

An unnamed ministry official was quoted by Arab News as saying that shrapnel fell on the building, causing limited damage, but no injuries were reported.

 

Competent authorities had begun responding to the incident and taking the necessary measures, the ministry said.

 

The incident came as Saudi air defences intercepted and destroyed several cruise and ballistic missiles and drones targeting Riyadh and other regions of the Kingdom, according to the Saudi-led coalition.

 

Coalition spokesperson Maj. Gen. Turki Al Maliki said on Sunday that two cruise missiles and a drone were intercepted over Riyadh and the southern regions. Two ballistic missiles targeting the capital were also intercepted and destroyed.

 

The latest interceptions are part of a series of aerial threats targeting Saudi Arabia since the beginning of November.

 

Saudi air defences had earlier intercepted a missile targeting the Eastern Province, Arab News reported.

 

The coalition has reported at least 15 ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles, intercepted or destroyed across the Kingdom this month.

 

On Saturday, air defences destroyed a cruise missile launched towards the Riyadh region. A day earlier, two ballistic missiles targeting Najran were intercepted, with debris falling in the area as authorities assessed possible damage.

 

Two drones were also destroyed over the Riyadh and Mecca regions on November 6, according to the Riyadh-based news outlet.

 

Other interceptions included a ballistic missile targeting the Madinah region on November 5; three drones directed towards the southern, Eastern and Mecca regions on November 3; and two drones and a ballistic missile targeting Riyadh and the southern region on November 2.

 

The coalition also reported intercepting a drone and a ballistic missile targeting the southern region on November 1.

 

Airport attacks disrupt air travel

 

The latest developments follow a series of Houthi attacks targeting Saudi airports, energy facilities and other infrastructure, disrupting civilian aviation.

 

King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh suspended operations following attacks in October that killed and wounded civilians. The closure was extended to allow safety inspections before operations gradually resumed under restrictions.

 

Several international airlines extended the suspension of their services to Riyadh into November, while disruptions also affected airports in Dammam, Abha and Najran.

 

The renewed Houthi campaign comes amid the US-Israeli war against Iran, which began on February 28 and has heightened tensions across the Middle East.

 

The Iran-aligned Houthis have expanded their attacks against Saudi targets as the wider conflict has escalated, raising concerns over the security of civilian infrastructure, energy supplies and maritime shipping routes.

 

On November 1, Al Maliki said coalition forces had conducted a precision operation to neutralise vital resources used by the Houthis to support their military activities, particularly their ballistic missile and drone programmes.

 

He said the group was exploiting those resources to sustain attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure in Yemen and Saudi Arabia, as well as threaten maritime shipping in the southern Red Sea.

 

The coalition said it would continue taking operational measures to deter further attacks and protect the security of the Kingdom and the wider region.