A fire broke out in the tank of an oil terminal in Jizan (Saudi Arabia), which was hit by a projectile, the Saudi energy ministry announced on Friday (March 26th) in a statement released by Saudi Arabia. Press Agency.
The press release, which specifies that there are no victims, denounces a “Cowardly attack”, and claims it is directed not only against the kingdom but against the global economy and global energy security. It does not identify the perpetrators of the attack. But Yemen’s Houthi rebels have repeatedly fired missiles at Saudi oil facilities.
The attack comes after Riyadh on Monday offered the Yemeni rebels a UN-supervised ceasefire, which the Houthis rejected, saying it was ” nothing new “. Riyadh also suggested reopening the airport in Sana’a, the Yemeni capital held by rebels since 2014, and restarting political negotiations between the Yemeni government and the Houthis. The rebels had recently made the opening of all air and sea space in Yemen, under Saudi control, a prerequisite for any dialogue process.
Unsurprisingly, the Yemeni government, meanwhile, welcomed the Saudi initiative, in a statement from the foreign ministry.
A conflict that has caused the world’s worst humanitarian crisis
Riyadh heads a coalition that intervened in Yemen in March 2015 in support of the internationally recognized Yemeni government, but which failed to defeat the Houthi rebels.
Earlier Thursday, the coalition reported intercepting several drones loaded with explosives thrown at the kingdom by the rebels, state media reported. Houthi rebels also attempted to strike at universities in Najran and Jizan, towns in the south near the border with Yemen, the coalition added. The rebels did not immediately claim responsibility for the strikes.
The coalition claims the blockade is aimed at preventing Iran from coming to the aid of the rebels, something Tehran has always denied.
The conflict has left tens of thousands dead and millions displaced, according to international organizations. It is at the origin, according to the UN, of the worst humanitarian crisis in the world today.
