Iran-backed Houthi militants from Yemen launched a drone assault on a Saudi Aramco oil refinery in Riyadh earlier Wednesday. The attack started a minor fire and resulted in no casualties. According to Reuters, the Houthi sponsored media outlet al-Masirah confirmed via Twitter that the Houthis were responsible for the attack.
“The operation by the drone air force is a strong start in a new stage of deterring the aggression,” tweeted the al-Masirah account.
Aramco officials confirmed that an incident at the refinery took place via Twitter, calling the attack an “operational incident.”
Saudi Aramco fire protection crews and Civil Defense have successfully controlled a minor fire due to an operational incident at the Riyadh Refinery today. No personnel are injured and no impact on operations.
— aramco | أرامكو (@Saudi_Aramco) July 18, 2018
The Houthis, who are backed by Iran and equipped with Iranian weapons, have been at war with Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni government-in-exile since 2015. The militant group has often launched missiles aimed at Riyadh, however, according to Reuters most of the missiles launched by the Houthis have been intercepted by Saudi Arabian air defense units.
In June of this year, Saudi Arabia along with its coalition partners began a massive offensive against the Houthi controlled city of Hodeidah, which is home to one of Yemen’s most important seaports. According to Al Jazeera, the battle in Hodeidah is still ongoing.
