Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry said Tuesday that some operations at energy facilities in the kingdom’s south had been temporarily suspended after Houthi attacks caused fires and injured several people, while oil futures rose following the announcement.
The ministry said firefighting and emergency teams went to the sites to extinguish the fires and assess the damage, without the available material providing details on the extent of the damage or how long operations would be suspended.
Houthis announce targeting Aramco sites
The Houthi group said it had targeted sites belonging to Saudi Aramco in Abha, Najran and Jizan, as well as the Khamis Mushait air base, using ballistic missiles and drones.
“A broad, qualitative operation”
Yemen’s coalition supporting the legitimate government said in an earlier statement that the attacks struck the cities of Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jizan and Najran, which are close to the Yemeni border. It added that women and children were among those injured, without providing a detailed toll in the available material.
Oil futures rise
Oil prices rose following the Energy Ministry’s statement, with futures for benchmark Brent crude rising by one dollar to $98 a barrel. Futures for U.S. crude also rose by more than two dollars, reaching $93.65 a barrel.
Damage assessment in Jizan
A British press report said Monday that Aramco’s oil facilities in Jizan had been targeted in a new attack and that damage assessment was underway. Aramco did not comment, according to the information provided in the material.
