GCC chief joins condemnation of Houthi attack on Saudi Aramco Shaybah gas plant

JEDDAH, 19 August 2019 [Fik/News Sources]: The head of the GCC condemned on Sunday a Houthi attack on a Saudi Aramco gas plant.

The militants claimed 10 drones struck the Shaybah natural gas liquefaction plant near the border with the UAE.

Aramco said the attack caused a small fire but that there were no injuries and operations were uninterrupted.

GCC Secretary-General Abdullatif Al-Zayani said the attack was a “cowardly act that threatens security and stability in the region.”

“The targeting of oil facilities in the Kingdom reveals the malicious goals harming the global energy supply,” he said.

He called on the international community to condemn the Houthi’s attacks.

The militants, who are based in Yemen and backed by Iran, have previously used crude kamikaze drones laden with explosives to target infrastructure in the Kingdom.

In May, the Houthis attacked two oil pumping stations with drones but caused no disruption to operations.

They have also repeatedly targeted Saudi Arabia’s Abha airport, including a strike in June that killed a Syrian and wounded 21 others.

The attack on Saturday was widely condemned, including by the UAE. 

Saudi Arabia’s Energy Minister, Khalid Al-Falih said the attack was not only aimed at Saudi Arabia “but also against the global economy.”

The Houthis sparked the conflict in Yemen when they seized the capital Sanaa in 2014. An Arab coalition, which includes Saudi Arabia and the UAE, intervened in 2015 in support of the internationally recognized government.