Fire in Saudi city ahead of F1 race; Houthis claim attacks
ABC News
Online videos show a raging fire at an oil depot in the Saudi city of Jiddah ahead of an F1 race there
JIDDAH, Saudi Arabia -- A raging fire erupted Friday at an oil depot in Jiddah ahead of a Formula One race in the Saudi city, with Yemen's Houthis rebels acknowledging they had launched a series of attacks on the kingdom.
While Saudi Arabia and its state-run oil behemoth Saudi Aramco did not immediately acknowledge the blaze, it appeared to be centered on the same fuel depot that the Houthis had attacked in recent days.
The attacks come as Saudi Arabia still leads a coalition battling the Iran-backed Houthis, who seized Yemen's capital of Sanaa in September 2014. The kingdom, which entered the war in Yemen in 2015, has been internationally criticized for its airstrikes killing that have killed scores of civilians — something the Houthis point to as they launch drones, missiles and mortars into the kingdom.
The North Jiddah Bulk Plant sits just southeast of the city’s international airport, a crucial hub for Muslim pilgrims heading to Mecca. Videos posted online of the blaze corresponded to known geographic features around the plant.
