Houthi rebels say they hit an oil factory in the port city of Jeddah while there was no immediate Saudi confirmation of the claim.
Yemen’s Houthi rebel group says it hit a distribution station for the Saudi Aramco oil company in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah on the Red Sea with a missile
There was no immediate Saudi confirmation of the claim by the group’s military spokesman, who on Monday warned foreign companies and residents in Saudi Arabia to exercise caution as “operations continue”.
Aramco’s oil production and export facilities are primarily located in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, more than 1,000 kilometers from Jeddah.
The state oil giant Aramco did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A Houthi military spokesman, Yahya Sarea, said the attack was carried out using a Quds-2 winged missile.
He also released a satellite image labeled “North Jeddah Bulk Plant – Saudi Aramco”.
Google Maps shows a facility that matches this picture and description on the northern outskirts of Jeddah.
“The strike was very accurate and ambulances and fire trucks rushed to the target,” said Sarea.
This facility is located southeast of Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport, an important location where incoming Muslim pilgrims are handled on their way to nearby Mecca.
Yemen has been mired in conflict since a Saudi Arabia-led coalition intervened in March 2015 to restore the Yemeni government, which was removed from power by the Houthi forces in the capital, Sanaa, in late 2014.
Cross-border attacks by Houthi forces have escalated since the end of May, when a ceasefire due to the novel coronavirus pandemic expired. The Saudi Arabia-led coalition has responded with air strikes on the Houthi-held area.
The Houthis control most of Northern Yemen and most of the large urban areas. They say they are fighting a corrupt system.
Sarea said the strike was carried out in response to actions by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition in Yemen.
The alleged attack came immediately after outgoing US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited the kingdom to see Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The kingdom was also just hosting the annual G20 summit, which ended on Sunday.
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