According to the British security intelligence firm Dryad Global, Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed that they hit an Aramco oil facility in eastern Saudi Arabia on Sunday, the first time the group has reached the company’s facilities in that area.
Specifically, in a televised statement, a spokesman for the rebel group, Brig. Gen. Yahya Sarea, stated that ballistic missiles and drones hit the oil giant’s facilities in Ras Tanura, a major port on Saudi Arabia’s Persian Gulf coast and one of its largest refineries, and military positions in nearby Dammam.
Following the above, Saudi state media confirmed the Ras Tanura attack, quoting an unnamed Energy Ministry official saying that one petroleum tank farm was attacked Sunday morning.
Namely, the official said shrapnel from a ballistic missile fell near Aramco’s residential area in Dhahran, which hosts thousands of employees and their families, but there were no casualties or loss of property.
The Saudi-led coalition, which has been fighting the Iranian-backed rebels since 2015, then said both attacks were intercepted and the drones downed.
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What is more, the coalition said earlier on Sunday it intercepted 12 drones launched by the Houthis, including five that were fired towards the kingdom, and two ballistic missiles fired towards Jizan.
For the record, Houthis often hit the kingdom, but most of their attacks focus on the south. They claimed they hit an Aramco facility on Thursday, but there was no confirmation from the Saudi authorities or the company. The last confirmed attack on an Aramco facility was in November.
In light of the situation, International benchmark Brent crude futures recently popped, moving above $70 a barrel for the first time in more than a year. In fact, the surge in oil prices came after Saudi Arabia said its oil facilities were targeted by missiles and drones.
