Drones strike Saudi oil facilities

By Hussein Mahmoud Ragab Elkabany and Ali Semerci

RIYADH (AA) - Fire erupted in two facilities of Saudi Arabia's oil company Aramco following strikes by armed drones, the country's official press agency reported Saturday.

According to Saudi Press Agency (SPA), an anonymous spokesman from the country's Interior Ministry said the fire broke out in the oil facilities in Abqaiq and Khurais of Aramco early in the morning.

The spokesman said the fire was taken under control with the help of company's security teams.

He did not accuse any group of conducting the attacks; however, the Houthi rebels in Yemen -- which fight against the Saudi-led coalition -- has carried out similar attacks previously.

No casualties were reported.

The Iran-backed Houthis, whose mid and long-range ballistic missiles are usually intercepted by the Saudi air defense systems, targets certain strategic parts of Saudi Arabia with armed drones.

Yemen has remained wracked by violence since 2014, when the Iran-aligned Houthi group overran much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.

The conflict escalated the following year when Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies launched a massive air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi gains in Yemen and supporting the country’s pro-Saudi government.

More than 70,000 people have been killed in the raging conflict since 2016, according to UN estimates.

In addition, Saudi Arabia's airstrikes seeking to support the government have led to death of scores of civilians in the war-ravaged country since 2015.

*Writing by Ali Murat Alhas.