Saudi oil terminal set on fire by projectile fire
Oil installation in Saudi Arabia (illustrative image).
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3 min
This Friday, March 36, a fire broke out in a Saudi oil terminal which was hit by a projectile, the Saudi Ministry of Energy announced.
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"
The firing of a projectile at the Jizan distribution terminal caused a fire in one of its tanks,
" the Saudi Ministry of Energy said in a statement released by the Saudi Press Agency, specifying that it there was no victim.
The statement denounces a "
cowardly attack
", and claims it directed not only against the kingdom but against the world economy and global energy security.
This statement did not identify the perpetrators of the attack, but Houthi rebels in Yemen have repeatedly fired missiles at Saudi oil facilities.
The attack comes after Riyadh on Monday offered the Yemeni rebels a UN-supervised ceasefire, which the Houthis rejected, saying it was "
nothing new
".
The rebels reiterate their demand for the lifting of the air and naval blockade imposed by Saudi Arabia against Yemen.
The United States is pushing
The attack came as the United States is pushing for a cessation of hostility with the return to the Middle East of US special envoy Tim Lenderking.
Since Joe Biden's arrival at the White House, the United States has tried to restart negotiations in Yemen, and the new American administration has announced the end of its support for the military coalition led by the Saudi kingdom.
Riyadh heads a coalition which intervened in Yemen in March 2015 in favor of the Yemeni government recognized by the international community, but which failed to defeat the Houthi rebels.
Earlier Thursday, the coalition said it had intercepted several drones loaded with explosives thrown at the kingdom by the rebels, state media reported.
Houthi rebels also attempted to strike at universities in Najran and Jizan, towns in the south near the border with Yemen, the coalition added.
They did not immediately claim responsibility for these strikes.
Worst humanitarian crisis in the world
On Monday, Riyadh proposed to reopen the airport in Sana'a, the Yemeni capital held by the rebels since 2014, and to relaunch political negotiations between the Yemeni government and the Houthis.
The rebels had recently made the opening of all air and sea space in Yemen, under Saudi control, a prerequisite for any dialogue process.
Unsurprisingly, the Yemeni government welcomed the Saudi initiative, in a statement from the Foreign Ministry.
The coalition says the blockade is aimed at preventing Iran from coming to the aid of the rebels, something Tehran has always denied.
The conflict has left tens of thousands dead and millions displaced, according to international organizations.
It is at the origin, according to the UN, of the worst humanitarian crisis in the world today.
(
with AFP
)
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See also:
Sudanese mercenaries involved in the conflict in Yemen withdraw from Aden
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