Two killed in attack on Aramco oil field in Saudi eastern region
Deaths are of a Filipino and a Nepali; kingdom’s energy ministry says field’s operations unaffected
[CAIRO] Two people were killed and two injured in a drone strike on Aramco’s Shaybah oil field in Saudi Arabia’s eastern province early on Wednesday (Oct 21), the latest attack on the kingdom’s energy facilities.
Operations at the field, which has the capacity to produce one million barrels of crude a day, were unaffected, the Saudi Energy Ministry said, citing one of its officials without identifying them.
Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who have been attacking Saudi Arabia from Yemen over the past few months, have not immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.
The Houthis in October repeatedly targeted Saudi airports, killing at least 19 people, mostly in the capital Riyadh. The campaign caused the kingdom’s flagship conference, the Future Investment Initiative, to be postponed till 2027.
The US Department of State issued an ordered departure on Wednesday for non-emergency government employees and their family members in Saudi Arabia, spokesman Tommy Pigott said on X.
Earlier, The US Embassy in Riyadh urged extreme caution when using airports in the kingdom due to attacks from the Houthis.
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen on Wednesday morning said it intercepted a drone fired towards the eastern region.
The drone was targeting a processing facility, according to the energy ministry, causing a vehicle to catch fire outside the target’s perimeter. The two deaths are of a Filipino and a Nepali.
A week ago, the Houthis hit Aramco’s headquarters in Dhahran, east of the kingdom.
The Houthis are one of Teheran’s main proxy militant groups, controlling swathes of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa. In July, they announced a blockade of Saudi ports, claiming the kingdom was besieging parts of the country.
The militia started firing on Saudi Arabia almost daily in September, attacking energy facilities among other targets.
It also advanced south from its stronghold in northwest Yemen towards the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a crucial chokepoint for energy tankers and container ships transiting between Asia and Europe via the Suez Canal.
The fighting further intensified in early October, when the Saudi coalition announced a large operation to recapture Houthi-held territory and “eliminate” the group. BLOOMBERG
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