Houthi rebels attack Aramco oil plant

The Houthi rebels on Saturday (March 19) targeted several targets in Saudi Arabia, including the facility of Aramco, an oil company based in the southern part of Jizan. According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the rebels also attacked a desalination plant in al-Shaqiq and a power plant in al-Shaqib al-Shaqik, according to a report by the Riyadh-led coalition in Yemen.

The coalition said four drones had been intercepted and destroyed in the south near Yemen. The area continues to be the target of Houthi drone and missile strikes. The announcement comes after an oil refinery in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, was hit by a drone on March 10, the Houthis said.

Earlier this week, the Houthis rejected an invitation by the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council to take part in talks on the Yemeni conflict in Riyadh from March 29.

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Saudi Arabia has been leading a military coalition in Yemen since mid-2014 in support of an internationally recognized government engaged in a bloody conflict against pro-Iranian Houthis. The war has killed hundreds of thousands of people, with millions forced to flee their homes in what the United Nations says is the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.

Houthi rebels frequently target airports and oil installations in Saudi Arabia, one of the world’s largest oil exporters, amid the kingdom’s leadership of a military coalition against them.

The latest attack comes as Aramco prepares to announce its results for 2021 on Sunday.