Smoke and flames seen near Aramco facility in Riyadh

Smoke and flames were seen near an Aramco facility in Riyadh on Saturday, October 3, but the cause of the fire, whether the site was struck or damaged, and any effect on operations remained unconfirmed. An AFP journalist reported seeing flames and smoke rising from an Aramco facility south of the Saudi capital. A Reuters witness also described smoke and fire in the vicinity of an Aramco facility in Riyadh. These observations establish that smoke and flames were visible near the site, but do not establish what caused them or whether the facility itself was affected. Saudi authorities had not provided immediate confirmation about the fire, and Aramco had not immediately responded to a request for comment, according to the reporting. The cause could not be independently verified. No immediate claim of responsibility for the Riyadh fire had been reported. The incident came amid heightened tensions between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi movement, which has threatened or claimed attacks on Saudi targets in recent months. The Houthis said the previous week that they had attacked Aramco facilities in Yanbu with missiles and drones.