RIYADH: Drone attacks on two Saudi Aramco factories in Abqaiq and Khuraisprovinces on Saturday sparked fires that the state oil company broughtunder control, the Saudi interior ministry spokesman said withoutidentifying the source of the drones.
The precise targets and the extent of possible damage were unclear. Aramcodid not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Abqaiq, 60 km (37 miles) southwest of Dhahran in Saudi Arabia’s EasternProvince, contains the world’s largest oil processing plant. Khurais, 190km further southwest, contains the country’s second largest oilfield.
Tensions are running high in the region after attacks in June and July onoil tankers in Gulf waters that Riyadh and Washington blamed on Iran.Tehran denies the accusations.
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Iran-aligned Houthi fighters in Yemen have also launched attacks over theborder, hitting Shaybah oilfield with drones last month and two oil pumpingstations in May. Both attacks caused fires but did not disrupt production.
Security forces foiled an al Qaeda attack on Abqaiq in 2006.
