Houthi rebels hit an oil depot in the Saudi city hosting the F1 race. The Iran-backed rebels have launched missile strikes and drone attacks.
JIDDAH, Saudi Arabia -- Yemen's Houthi rebels attacked an oil depot on Friday in the Saudi city of Jiddah ahead of a Formula One race in the kingdom. It was the rebels' highest-profile assault yet, though Saudi authorities pledged the upcoming grand prix would go on as scheduled.
In Yemen, Saudi Arabia leads a coalition battling the Iran-backed Houthis, who seized Yemen's capital of Sanaa in September 2014. The kingdom, which entered the war in 2015, has been internationally criticized for its airstrikes killing that have killed scores of civilians - something the Houthis point to as they launch drones, missiles and mortars into the kingdom.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson condemned the Houthi attacks on Twitter."These strikes put civilian lives at risk and must stop," he wrote. We"remain in direct contact with Saudi security authorities, as well as F1 and the FIA to ensure all necessary security and safety measures," the company said, referring to motorsport's governing body.The al-Masirah satellite news channel run by Yemen's Houthi rebels later claimed they had attacked an Aramco facility in Jiddah, along with other targets in Riyadh and elsewhere.
The Houthis have twice targeted the North Jiddah plant with cruise missiles. One attack came in November 2020. The last came on Sunday as part of a wider barrage by the Houthis. "While the facility also supplies the Saudi military with petroleum products, it is mostly supplying civilian customers," the panel said."If the plant had been out of service of a significant period, the impact on the kingdom's economy as well as on the welfare of the residents of the Western region would likely have been significant."
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