Flames and thick smoke were seen rising from an Aramco facility south of Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh on Saturday, as Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels claimed they had targeted the site with ballistic missiles and drones.
Saudi authorities have not immediately confirmed whether the facility was attacked.
However, a news agency AFP journalist at the scene reported seeing fire engines trying to extinguish a blaze at Aramco’s Riyadh refinery, while ambulances and police vehicles were stationed nearby. A Reuters witness also reported seeing a large plume of smoke and fire in the vicinity of an Aramco facility.
Late on Saturday, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group had targeted an oil facility in Riyadh with ballistic missiles and drones, claiming the strikes caused fires at the targeted sites, reported AFP.
Several purported videos showing massive plumes of black smoke rising from the Aramco facility surfaced on social media following the reported attack. The footage appeared to show flames and thick black smoke erupting from at least two points within the facility, with the fire visibly intensifying as smoke billowed into the sky. The videos could not be independently verified by HT.
Houthis claim missile, drone attack
The latest developments come after the Houthis said Saudi Arabia bombed Sanaa on Thursday night, in what they described as the first such attack on the Yemeni capital since fighting between the two sides resumed in July.
Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah TV earlier reported that “Saudi enemy aircraft” carried out 26 strikes on Sanaa. The channel had earlier described the attacks as “Saudi aggression”, but did not provide details about the targets or report casualties.
Two AFP correspondents in Sanaa reported hearing loud explosions and seeing warplanes firing missiles at the Yemeni capital.
The Houthis’ Al-Masirah channel also reported missile strikes on the telecommunications network in Yemen’s northwestern governorate of Sadaa, a stronghold of the group.
Houthis have targeted Saudi energy sites
The reported attack comes amid escalating hostilities between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, with the group stepping up attacks targeting Saudi cities and energy infrastructure.
Last week, the Houthis said they had attacked Aramco facilities in Yanbu using missiles and drones. Saudi Arabia said at the time that it had intercepted six ballistic missiles fired towards Taif and the Yanbu area, but did not report any damage to Aramco facilities.
