Question: Which of the following terrorist organization has attacked the Aramco oil plant in Saudi Arabia recently?
(a) Taliban
(b) ISIS
(c) Houthi
(d) Boko Haram
Answer: (c)
Related facts:
- On 14th September 2019, twin drone attacks to Saudi Arabia’s Abqaiq oil refinery and Khurais oil field disrupted the global oil supply.
- Abqaiq is about 60km (37 miles) south-west of Dhahran in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, while Khurais, some 200km further south-west, has the country’s second largest oilfield.
- Rebel Houthi group of Yemen claimed the responsibility of attacks who have been locked in a war with a Saudi-UAE-led coalition since 2015.
- The attack has impacted around 5 million barrels per day of crude production. This volume is close to half of the kingdom’s output or 5% of global daily oil supply.
- The disruptive action by rebel group Houthis is reply to the Saudi Arabia’s earlier intervention in Yemen civil war in 2015 against the Houthis.
- A military coalition(coalition of nine countries from the Middle East and Africa) led by Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen on March 26, 2015, at Hadi’s request(Yemen President), for military support after he was ousted by the Houthi movement due to economic and political grievances.
- Riyadh accuses Iran of arming the Houthis which is denied by the group and Tehran.
- The Iran-aligned Houthi rebel movement has been fighting the Yemeni government and a Saudi-led coalition and is regulating its operation from capital Sanaa.
- Fellow Gulf OPEC producers the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait have condemned the attack and held its support to Saudi Arabia.
- Tensions have escalated in the middle-east region since the withdrawal of US from the nuclear deal and extended economic sanctions on Iran.
Links:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-49699429
https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/yemen-rebel-drones-hit-two-saudi-aramco-plants-sources-say-oil-supplies-disrupted/article29415046.ece
http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=UAE%2c-Kuwait-condemn-terrorist-attacks-on-2-Aramco-oil-factories&id=371573