Fire At Saudi Oil Refinery Caused By Drone Strike Brought Under Control

*Yemen’s Houthi Group Said They Targeted The Site With Six
Drones

Dubai — An air attack on an oil refinery in the Saudi capital
Riyadh on Friday caused a fire that was brought under control, the
energy ministry said, after Yemen’s Houthi group said they targeted
the site with six drones.

The refinery is operated by state-controlled oil giant Saudi
Aramco. The attack, which happened at 6.05am Saudi time, did not
result in injuries or deaths, and did not disrupt the supply of oil
or oil derivatives, the energy ministry said.

The Houthis said earlier in the day that they had hit a facility
belonging to Aramco in Riyadh, without specifying the targets they
said were hit.

“Our armed forces carried out at dawn today an operation … with
six drones which targeted the Aramco company in the capital of the
Saudi enemy, Riyadh,” said Yahya Sarea, a Houthi military
spokesperson.

Aramco did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for
comment but said it would do so “at the earliest opportunity”.

The Iran-aligned Houthis have stepped up attacks into Saudi
Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter, in recent weeks.

Sarea said operations against Saudi Arabia will continue and
escalate as long as Saudi “aggression” against Yemen continues.

The Saudi energy ministry said this and other attacks had
targeted the security and stability of the world’s energy supply,
not just Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia leads a military coalition which intervened in
Yemen in March 2015 against Houthi forces, which ousted the
internationally-recognised Yemeni government from power in Sanaa in
late 2014.

Riyadh says it intercepts most of the drones and missiles which
the Houthis say they launch at airports, airbases and energy
infrastructure, but some do inflict damage.

On March 7, the coalition said a barrage of drones and missiles
had been intercepted en route to targets including an oil storage
yard at Ras Tanura, the site of a refinery and the world’s biggest
offshore oil-loading facility. A residential compound in Dhahran
used by Saudi Aramco was also targeted.

Sarea warned “foreign companies and citizens” to avoid military
sites and key infrastructure.

In renewed diplomatic efforts to end the war, the UN and US have
urged the Houthis, who are also pressing an offensive against the
government-held city of Marib in Yemen, to turn to negotiations
rather then military escalation. Reuters

*Yemen’s Houthi Group Said They Targeted The Site With Six
Drones

Dubai — An air attack on an oil refinery in the Saudi capital
Riyadh on Friday caused a fire that was brought under control, the
energy ministry said, after Yemen’s Houthi group said they targeted
the site with six drones.

The refinery is operated by state-controlled oil giant Saudi
Aramco. The attack, which happened at 6.05am Saudi time, did not
result in injuries or deaths, and did not disrupt the supply of oil
or oil derivatives, the energy ministry said.

The Houthis said earlier in the day that they had hit a facility
belonging to Aramco in Riyadh, without specifying the targets they
said were hit.

“Our armed forces carried out at dawn today an operation … with
six drones which targeted the Aramco company in the capital of the
Saudi enemy, Riyadh,” said Yahya Sarea, a Houthi military
spokesperson.

Aramco did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for
comment but said it would do so “at the earliest opportunity”.

The Iran-aligned Houthis have stepped up attacks into Saudi
Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter, in recent weeks.

Sarea said operations against Saudi Arabia will continue and
escalate as long as Saudi “aggression” against Yemen continues.

The Saudi energy ministry said this and other attacks had
targeted the security and stability of the world’s energy supply,
not just Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia leads a military coalition which intervened in
Yemen in March 2015 against Houthi forces, which ousted the
internationally-recognised Yemeni government from power in Sanaa in
late 2014.

Riyadh says it intercepts most of the drones and missiles which
the Houthis say they launch at airports, airbases and energy
infrastructure, but some do inflict damage.

On March 7, the coalition said a barrage of drones and missiles
had been intercepted en route to targets including an oil storage
yard at Ras Tanura, the site of a refinery and the world’s biggest
offshore oil-loading facility. A residential compound in Dhahran
used by Saudi Aramco was also targeted.

Sarea warned “foreign companies and citizens” to avoid military
sites and key infrastructure.

In renewed diplomatic efforts to end the war, the UN and US have
urged the Houthis, who are also pressing an offensive against the
government-held city of Marib in Yemen, to turn to negotiations
rather then military escalation. Reuters