Sept 8 (Reuters) – Operations at some energy facilities in Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter, were halted on Tuesday following attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis that wounded 73 people, in what Saudi authorities described as a dangerous escalation.
Fires erupted at the sites and several people were injured as firefighting and other emergency teams rushed to contain the blazes and assess the damage, the Saudi energy ministry said.
The Houthis attacked the southern cities of Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said in an earlier statement, adding that the injured included women and children.
The flare-up in violence between Saudi Arabia and the militant group came as tensions mounted between the United States and Iran and the wider Middle East conflict sent oil prices soaring with diplomatic negotiations stalling.
Brent crude futures rose $1 to $98 a barrel after the Saudi energy ministry statement, while U.S. crude futures rose over $2 to $93.65 a barrel.
The Houthi military spokesperson announced what he described as a broad offensive against the de facto OPEC leader, targeting Saudi oil giant Aramco facilities in Abha, Najran and Jizan, as well as an air base in Khamis Mushait, with ballistic missiles and drones.
On Monday, the Financial Times newspaper said Aramco’s Jazan oil facilities were hit in new strikes, and the damage was being assessed. Reuters was not immediately able to verify the report and Aramco has not commented.
SAUDI ARABIA CONDEMNS ‘DANGEROUS’ ESCALATION
The Saudi-led coalition vowed to respond firmly to the latest outbreak of hostilities, saying the latest escalation was “dangerous”.
The Saudi energy ministry said concerned authorities were dealing with the repercussions of the attacks.
“The needed measures will be taken to ensure the safety of the facilities and workers and the continuation of work according to the approved operational plans,” said the ministry.
Spokesperson Yahya Saree said on Monday that Riyadh had taken “escalatory steps” by conducting airstrikes on Yemen, and warned that the latest strikes would not go unanswered.
The Saudi-led coalition did not announce any recent strikes on Yemen, but the Saudi-backed Yemeni government has in recent days mounted an offensive on multiple fronts against the Houthis in Yemen.
“The coalition will take all necessary operational measures to deter this terrorist militia and resolutely confront its hostile approach,” Colonel Turki al-Malki said in a statement on X.
The Houthis, who control the most populous parts of Yemen and much of the north, have been launching attacks towards Saudi Arabia since declaring a naval blockade against Riyadh in July, with strikes targeting its vessels in the Red Sea.
(Reporting by Nayera Abdallah and Jana Choukeir; Editing by Jacqueline Wong, Clarence Fernandez, Lincoln Feast and Michael Perry)
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