Saudi Arabia said an administrative building belonging to Saudi Aramco in Dhahran was attacked late Tuesday, October 13, causing a limited fire. Authorities reported no injuries or deaths.
1 A company source described damage to the top three floors of an office tower, but accounts differed on whether the building was struck directly or damaged by debris from an intercepted projectile.
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What reports say happened
Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry said authorities responded to the incident and took necessary measures. The ministry characterized the fire as limited and reported no casualties.
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A company source cited in reporting said a ballistic missile hit an office tower in the Aramco headquarters complex, damaging its top three floors.
3 A person familiar with the matter told Bloomberg the fire had been extinguished, but the cause of the fire—and whether the impact came from an intercepted projectile—could not immediately be established.
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Why the impact account remains unclear
The early accounts did not establish a single, confirmed explanation for the damage. In an initial Reuters dispatch, a source with direct knowledge said the headquarters had been struck but that it was unclear whether the building was hit directly or by falling debris.
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Separately, the Saudi-led coalition reported intercepting a ballistic missile aimed at Dhahran and said fragments fell in a residential area. That report establishes a nearby debris incident, but the material available does not show that those fragments caused the damage to the Aramco office tower. The two accounts should not be conflated.
Evacuation and the wider exchange
An early Reuters report said four sources reported that an evacuation order had been issued for the building; the dispatch also noted that Aramco had not officially commented at that stage.
9 The Houthis had threatened earlier that day to attack Aramco’s headquarters, but the supplied reporting said they did not immediately claim responsibility for the strike.
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The best-supported account is limited: Saudi Arabia confirmed an attack and a contained fire at an Aramco administrative building, with no reported casualties. A company source reported upper-floor damage, while the available reports do not conclusively resolve whether the building was hit directly or by debris.
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