Houthis claim responsibility for attack on Saudi's Aramco facility in Jazan
Sanaa, August 9
Yemen's Houthi group on Sunday claimed responsibility for an attack on a Saudi Aramco facility in Jazan, saying it targeted the site with a drone and achieved a "precise strike".
The claim was made by Houthi military spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree in a statement on Telegram, in which he said the group had "successfully targeted the Aramco refinery in Jazan with a drone, achieving a precise strike."
According to Saree, the attack was carried out in response to what the Houthis described as Saudi drone incursions into the airspace over Yemen's Saada and Hajjah governorates.
"This attack comes in response to the Saudi enemy's drone incursions into the airspace of Saada and Hajjah governorates," the statement added.
The Houthi claim comes hours after Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Energy said that a fire had broken out at dawn at one of the facilities belonging to the Saudi Aramco refinery in Jazan.
The ministry said industrial security firefighting teams affiliated with Aramco had extinguished the blaze and that no injuries were reported.
"Industrial Security Firefighting Teams affiliated with Saudi Aramco extinguished a fire that broke out at dawn today, Sunday, corresponding to 26/2/1448 AH, in one of the facilities belonging to the Saudi Aramco Refinery in Jazan, with no injuries," the Energy Ministry said in a post on X earlier today.
Jazan, located in southwestern Saudi Arabia on the Red Sea close to the border with Yemen, is home to Saudi Aramco's integrated refinery and petrochemical complex, making the area strategically important to the Kingdom's energy infrastructure.
The latest statement also follows an earlier remark by Houthis in late July on Telegram that it had carried out ballistic missile and drone strikes against Aramco-affiliated facilities in Jazan and Yanbu.
The attack on the Jazan facility coincided with a reported attack on a gas facility in Saudi Arabia's Jubail region, which Israeli media attributed to the Yemeni Houthi group.
According to Israel's Channel 14, Houthis were behind the attack on the gas facility in Saudi Aramco's gas plant in Al Jubail after reports emerged of an explosion and fire at an industrial facility in the kingdom's eastern region.
Jubail Industrial City, located on Saudi Arabia's eastern coast, is one of the Kingdom's major industrial and energy hubs, with extensive petrochemical, refining and gas-related infrastructure.
The latest incidents come amid renewed Houthi activity in the Red Sea region and growing concerns over attacks against Saudi energy and transport infrastructure.
The Houthis, who control large parts of northern Yemen and are aligned with Iran, had announced a naval blockade of Riyadh in the Red Sea, particularly along the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, last month, citing the Saudi blockade of Yemen - a claim that Riyadh had rejected.
The Houthi attack on Saudi energy facilities is the first major strike on the Kingdom, which comes days after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey signed the "Mecca Joint Defence Agreement" on Friday, amid escalating tensions and conflict across West Asia.
The agreement, formalised against the backdrop of mounting regional security threats, seeks to strengthen defence and military cooperation among the three countries and bolster their collective deterrence.
"The Agreement is intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression, and stipulates that any armed attack against any one of the three States shall be regarded as an attack against them all. It further provides for the enhancement of all aspects of defence cooperation among the three States," the summit statement said.
While the pact does not specify detailed military obligations or operational commitments, it establishes a framework for enhanced defence cooperation and identifies the promotion of peace, stability and security in the region and beyond as its broader objective.
— ANI
Reader Comments
The Houthis are getting bolder by the day. Striking at Aramco facilities is no small feat. But honestly, Saudi's involvement in Yemen was bound to have consequences. You can't keep bombing a country for years and expect no retaliation. Sad for the common people on both sides who suffer because of this.
This is what happens when you have Iran backing proxy groups and Saudi backing other factions. The entire Middle East is in chaos. Oil prices are going to spike again, and global economies, including India's, will feel the pinch. Diplomatic solutions need to be found, but it seems no one wants to de-escalate.
The "Mecca Joint Defence Agreement" sounds good on paper, but let's be real here - Pakistan has its own issues with terrorism, and Turkey has its own agenda. How much collective deterrence can they actually provide? Meanwhile, thousands of Indians work in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries. Our government should prioritize their safety.
Yaar, it seems the Houthis have become quite advanced with drone technology. They managed to hit a place like Jazan, which is so strategically important. The Saudis better step up their air defense. But more importantly, this endless cycle of attack and retaliation needs to stop. The whole region is like a pressure cooker.
I find it interesting how the Saudi Energy Ministry is trying to downplay it, saying no injuries were reported. But the fact remains that their infrastructure is vulnerable. The Red Sea shipping routes are crucial for global oil supply, and if these attacks continue, it's going to affect everything from fuel prices to
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.