Houthis hit Aramco Jazan refinery for second time in a week

[CAIRO] Yemen’s Houthis said they targeted Saudi Aramco’s oil refinery in Jazan on the Red Sea coast, the second attack by the militant group on the facility in less than a week.

The group’s forces fired two drones at the refinery and hit it, Houthi-controlled Saba news agency reported, citing an unidentified military source.

The Saudi government and Aramco did not immediately comment on the claim outside of regular business hours.

The attack resulted in negligible damage to a tank at the refinery, according to one person familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified because the information is not public.

The attack in southwest Saudi Arabia was carried out in response to the kingdom’s “violation” of Yemen’s airspace and sovereignty in Sa’dah and Hajjah, according to the report.

The Houthis said they remain committed to responding to any violations of Yemen’s sovereignty.

On Sunday, the group hit the refinery, setting it on fire before Saudi authorities put it out. No injuries were reported, the country’s energy ministry said at the time, without providing further details on the attack.

One crude storage tank at the refinery was impacted in the Sunday (Aug 9) incident, a person familiar with that event said.

In July, the Houthis said they would blockade Saudi Arabia’s oil flows in response to a Saudi blockade of Yemeni territory.

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The group, which took over the Yemeni capital of Sanaa in 2014, has also claimed sporadic attacks on Saudi energy facilities and tankers over that period. BLOOMBERG