Yemen's Houthis launch drone attack on Shaybah oil field in Saudi Arabia

Houthi forces in Yemen have launched a drone attack on oil facilities at Shaybah in Saudi Arabia, the Yemeni movement’s al-Masirah television said on Saturday.

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab

17 August, 2019

The oil field holds Saudi Arabia's largest reserves [Getty]

Yemen's Houthi rebels attacked oil facilities at Shaybah in Saudi Arabia near the UAE border, the group's media reported on Saturday.

Ten Houthi drones were launched on several facilities, including a refinery and oil storage, al-Masirah television reported.

The group's drones targeted the state-oil company Saudi Aramco's Shaybah field, known for its close proximity to neighbouring UAE, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saria was quoted as saying.

The oil field holds Saudi Arabia's largest oil reserves, he added.

The Houthis, who control Sanaa and most of Yemen's other populous areas, have stepped up attacks against targets in Saudi Arabia in recent months.

The Western-backed Sunni Muslim coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE intervened in Yemen in 2015 to try to restore a Yemeni government ousted from power in Sanaa by the Houthis.

The war has killed tens of thousands of people and pushed millions to the brink of famine.

The United States and its Western allies have kept up huge arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, despite an international outcry over the human cost of the war.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE have repeatedly accused Iran of supplying weapons, including ballistic missiles, to the Houthi rebels, an accusation Tehran has consistently denied.

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