Saudi Aramco's Yanbu liquefied gas plant, gas station target of attacks: SPA

Saudi Arabia's official press agency said March 20 that an Aramco liquefied gas plant in Yanbu, a gas station in Khamis Mushait and an electricity transmission station in Dharhan al Janoub were targets of a ballistic missile and nine drones, with no loss of life resulting.

The Saudi Air Force intercepted and destroyed the weapons aimed at the cities of Jizan, Khamis Mushait, Taif, Yanbu and Dhahran, according to Brigadier General Turki Al-Maliki, who called the attacks a dangerous escalation, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The attacks followed escalating cross-border fire, which began on March 19 and continued until dawn, according to SPA.

"There were no injuries or fatalities and no impact on the company's supply to its customer," Aramco's CEO Amin Nasser told reporters in a call.

The city of Jizan lies directly north of the border with Yemen, in which Saudi Arabia-led forces are engaged in a seven-year conflict with its southern neighbor's Houthi militant group.

Missile and drone attacks launched by Houthi rebels into Saudi Arabia and the UAE remain one of the top oil security risks.

The Gulf region, which depends on US military support and technology for air defense, saw a record 31 security incidents targeting energy infrastructure in 2021, according to the S&P Global Commodity Insights Oil Security Sentinel, including on an Aramco tank farm at the port of Ras Tanura and strikes aimed at the Jazan refinery.

A drone hit an Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. fuel depot in the UAE on Jan. 17, causing three deaths.