Huge fires at Saudi Aramco oil facilities after alleged drone attacks (VIDEOS)
Published time: 14 Sep, 2019 04:46Edited time: 14 Sep, 2019 06:32
Massive fires have hit two Saudi Aramco oil facilities, with dramatic footage emerging online. Riyadh says the blazes were caused by drone attacks, without naming the attacker.
The state-run Saudi Press Agency said drones caused the fire at the refinery in the city of Abqaiq in the kingdom’s oil-rich Eastern Province, which Aramco describes as the world’s largest oil processing plant, as well as the blaze at the Khurais oil field, around 150km from Riyadh.
The agency did not specify the type of drones involved or name the alleged perpetrator. The fires at both sites are under control and a probe has been launched into the alleged attacks, the Saudis say.
Multiple videos, posted on social media earlier on Saturday, showed an Aramco compound engulfed in flames and thick black smoke billowing from the site.
The gunshots and the explosions were heard by local residents at around 3 am this morning in Aramco compound near #Buqayq, #SaudiArabia. Some people I spoke to say there were about 12 explosions that rock the area.
66 people are talking about this
Here's a long video compilation showing different angles of what is supposedly the aftermath of the explosion.
23 people are talking about this
Abqaiq City
Saudi
Aramco
The capital of the oil industry
Explosions and fires
Now residents are evacuating the city
It has the largest community of Americans and Westerners
296 people are talking about this
In some footage, several loud bangs resembling the sound of explosions can be heard in the background. There were reports of over a dozen blasts rocking the facility.
Apparent sounds of gunfire can be heard on a video allegedly filmed at a parking lot across the street from the site.
The first video shows one of the explosions from the vantage point of a parking lot nearby. Bursts of gunfire are audible in the distance.
Geolocated: (goo.gl/maps/2G3eMod4B…)
22 people are talking about this
On Twitter, Saudi royal court adviser Turki Alalshikh urged netizens to not fuel speculations, denouncing social media reports as “lies and rumours.”
“Praise to God, safe and secure... Abqaiq is well,” the official tweeted.
Saudi Arabia has been accusing Iran of arming and directing the Houthi rebels in civil-war torn Yemen to launch drone and rocket attacks across the kingdom’s border. In May, armed drones caused minor damage to Aramco’s two pumping stations in the Eastern Province. While the Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack, the Saudis blamed Tehran. Iranian officials denied the allegations.
ALSO ON RT.COMDrones strike Saudi oil pumping stations near Riyadh as Houthis claim attack
Saudi Arabia has led a bombing campaign in Yemen since it intervened in 2015 to assist ousted President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi’s fight against the Houthis who control the nation’s capital, Sanaa. The campaign put the Saudis under fire from the UN and international human rights groups that have repeatedly stated that the airstrikes cause mass civilian casualties.
posted by Satish Sharma at
12:59
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home