While
The attacks came as
The North Jiddah Bulk Plant sits just southeast of the city’s international airport, a crucial hub for Muslim pilgrims heading to
The
An
The cause of the blaze was not immediately known. Drivers raced on into the evening even as the fire burned and authorities offered no explanation for the blaze.
The second-ever Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in
The F1 said in a statement that: “The position at the moment is that we are waiting for further information from the authorities on what has happened.” The F1 did not elaborate.
However, the al-Masirah satellite news channel run by
Meanwhile, Saudi state television acknowledged attacks in the town of Dhahran targeting water tanks that damaged vehicles and homes. Another attack targeted an electrical substation in an area of southwestern
The North Jiddah Bulk Plant stores diesel, gasoline and jet fuel for use in
The Houthis have twice targeted the
At the time of the 2020 attack, the targeted tank, which has a capacity of 500,000 barrels, held diesel fuel, according to a recent report by a U.N. panel of experts examining Yemen’s war. Repairing it after the last attack cost
The U.N. experts described the facility as a “civilian target,” which the Houthis should have avoided after the 2020 attack.
“While the facility also supplies the Saudi military with petroleum products, it is mostly supplying civilian customers,” the panel said. “If the plant had been out of service of a significant period, the impact on the kingdom’s economy as well as on the welfare of the residents of the Western region would likely have been significant.”
Cruise missiles and drones remain difficult to defend against, though the
In September, the AP reported that the
The attacks have renewed questions about the kingdom’s ability to defend itself from
Gambrell reported from
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