On 22 October, the Yemeni Houthis claimed to have carried out an attack on targets belonging to the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Defence in Riyadh and a Saudi Aramco facility in Yanbu. The Associated Press reported a statement by the group’s military spokesman, Yahya Sari; however, the Saudi authorities have not confirmed whether the ministry building was hit, whether it sustained damage, or whether there were any casualties there.
Briefly about the main points
- The Houthis have claimed to have carried out an attack on Ministry of Defence targets in Riyadh and Aramco in Yanbu.
- The Saudi authorities have not confirmed that the Ministry of Defence building was hit.
- Two people were killed and eight others injured following the attack on Dammam Airport.
- The US has ordered non-essential staff and their families to leave the kingdom.
- Aramco has evacuated staff from its headquarters in Dhahran; the reason has not been disclosed.
What is known about the stated objectives
Yahya Sari, a military spokesperson for the «Ansar Allah» movement, stated that the group had attacked targets linked to the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Defence in Riyadh, as well as a Saudi Aramco facility in the port city of Yanbu on the Red Sea. According to him, a fire broke out at the company’s facility.
As of 22 October, there was no independent information regarding hits, the extent of any damage or casualties at the reported targets. The reported incident in Yanbu is a separate event from that at Aramco’s headquarters in Dhahran.
Confirmed consequences of the attacks and the operation of the air defence system
The Saudi aviation authorities reported two fatalities and eight injuries following an attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam on the evening of 21 October. On 22 October, the airport announced that normal operations had resumed.
The Saudi-led coalition also reported that seven drones had been intercepted over the Eastern Province, the Medina region and the south of the country. This information does not directly relate to the statement regarding targets in Al-Riyadi.
The reaction of the US and Saudi Aramco
On 21 October, the US State Department ordered non-essential US government staff and their family members to leave Saudi Arabia. A State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott He clarified that this decision does not apply to other countries in the Persian Gulf.
Reuters, citing informed sources, reported that Saudi Aramco It evacuated staff from its headquarters in Dhahran and moved some employees to remote working. The company did not officially explain the reason for this decision.
The context of the conflict in Yemen
Saudi Arabia leads a coalition which, since 2015, has been supporting Yemen’s internationally recognised government in the war against the Houthis. The UN-brokered ceasefire was formally in force from 2 April to 2 October 2022, and a lower level of violence persisted even after it had expired.
The current escalation has heightened the risks to civilian infrastructure and diplomatic security in the Kingdom.
