Disturbing news from Saudi Arabia. The Houthi rebels from the civil war country Yemen have fired on an oil refinery near the Formula 1 race track in Jeddah.
Yemeni Houthi rebels have attacked an Aramco oil refinery near the Formula 1 race track in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
“We have carried out several attacks with drones and ballistic missiles,” the Houthi rebels said in a statement, including the facility in Jeddah and “important facilities” in the capital, Riyadh. The refinery in Jeddah is a good twelve kilometers from the paddock. So far, nothing is known about possible injuries or even fatalities.
Fire near the Formula 1 racetrack in Jeddah: A meter-high cloud of smoke and flames rises from an oil reservoir. (Source: Hassan Ammar/dpa)
Operation on the circuit, which will be the site of the Grand Prix of next Sunday Saudi Arabia is has not been discontinued. Drivers, engineers and mechanics continue to move freely around the site, the 2nd free practice session has started with a 15-minute delay. However, a clearly perceptible smell of burnt petrol is said to have settled over the circuit.
Similar incident just two weeks ago
Formula 1 boss Stefano Domenicali confirmed in a meeting with all drivers and team bosses called at short notice that the Grand Prix could be held. “He assured us that the authorities were investigating the incident and that there were no further safety concerns,” McLaren team boss Andreas Seidl told Sky TV. You have to trust this information. However, Seidl admitted that it was “a very worrying situation for all of us”.
Rocket and drone attacks by the Yemeni militia are not uncommon in the region. Almost two weeks ago, an oil refinery in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh was attacked by a drone. The Houthis acknowledged this. The rebels frequently attack airports and oil facilities in Saudi Arabia. The country is one of the largest oil exporters in the world.
Yemen has been at war since 2015 between President Abd Rabbo Mansur Hadi’s troops, backed by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other Arab states, and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels. According to the UN, around 380,000 people have already been killed in the conflict, and millions more have had to flee.