Saudi oil refinery hit by Houthi drone attack that causes fire but doesn’t disrupt supplies

A drone attack claimed by Yemen rebels on a Saudi oil refinery caused a fire but did not disrupt supplies, officials say, as oil prices soar after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The pre-dawn attack has been claimed by the Iran-backed Houthis and follows a series of similar assaults on Saudi facilities by the rebels, who are fighting a Saudi-led coalition.

“The Riyadh oil refinery was attacked by a drone, resulting in a small fire that has been brought under control,” the energy ministry says, according to the official Saudi Press Agency.

“The attack did not result in any injury or death, nor was the supply of oil or its derivatives affected,” it adds, calling it an act of “sabotage and terrorism” but without directly blaming the rebels.

The Houthis say they fired three drones at the Aramco refinery and six more at the oil giant’s facilities in the southwestern cities of Jizan and Abha “and other sensitive locations.” The Saudis did not report any other attacks.