DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – Yemen’s Houthi rebels said they attacked a Saudi oil plant in the port city of Jiddah on Thursday, the latest in a series of cross-border missiles and drones the group has claimed against the kingdom of grinding war in Yemen.
Saudi Arabia’s state media did not immediately recognize any incident in Jiddah. But overnight, the military coalition led by Saudi leaders against the rebels announced that the Houthi had fired two explosive-laden drones at Khamis Mushait, a southwestern city where King Khalid Air Base lives, and later a ballistic missile in the direction of from the southern province of Jizan. . There were no immediate reports of injuries.
Brig. General Yehia Sarie, a military spokeswoman for Houthi, tweeted that the rebels had fired a new Quds-2 cruise missile at the facility. He posted a satellite image online similar to Aramco’s North Jiddah Bulk Plant, where oil products are stored in tanks. The Iranian-backed rebels claim to have hit the same facility last November, an attack later recognized by the Saudi-led coalition ignited a fire in the plant.
While such attacks rarely cause damage or casualties, strikes have taken place at major oil facilities in Saudi Arabia., the world’s largest oil exporter, has shaken the energy markets and the world economy.
The Jiddah plant, which serves as a temporary storage facility for petrol, diesel and other petrochemicals before distribution, is located just southeast of the city of King Abdulaziz International Airport, a major airport that handles Muslim pilgrims en route to Mecca.
According to data from the website FlightRadar24.com, flights departed early Thursday morning without explanation or otherwise flew in circles..
An Associated Press journalist at the scene saw no smoke rising on Thursday morning.
The US Consulate in Jiddah has issued a warning to Americans citing the attack on the Aramco plant, including reports of drones in the south of the kingdom. It said it was not aware of any casualties and urged Americans to “review immediate precautions to be taken in the event of an attack.”
Saudi Aramco, the oil giant of the kingdom that now has some value publicly traded on the stock market, did not respond to a request for comment. Its stock traded slightly on Riyadh’s Tadawul Stock Exchange on Thursday as international crude Brent rose to more than $ 64 a barrel.
Since 2015, the Houthis fighting the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen have targeted international airports, as well as military installations and critical oil infrastructure, within Saudi Arabia. In recent months, the rebels have intensified their attacks and repeatedly collided with drones and missiles in the kingdom’s Patriot missile batteries. Earlier this week, a ballistic missile reached the capital, Riyadh, where it intercepted and exploded in the air, spreading debris over the city.
The conflict in Yemen erupted almost six years ago after the Houthis swept to the capital and seized much of the north of the country. A Saudi-led military coalition has launched a bombing campaign to oust the Houthis and restore the internationally recognized government.
The war has now come to a standstill, killing more than 12,000 civilians, driving millions to the brink of starvation and causing the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Saudi Arabia has come under widespread international criticism for its airstrikes that have killed civilians and hit non-military targets in Yemen.