Houthi Rebels Use Another Unmanned Boat Bomb Against the Saudis
For the second time in 2017, Houthi rebels have used a remote-controlled boat bomb to attack a Saudi Arabian ship, raising the possibility that the two-year-old conflict between the Yemeni rebels and the Saudi military could also threaten global oil shipments.
The Saudi Interior Ministry said Wednesday its security forces had stopped an attack on an Aramco oil distribution terminal in the Red Sea on the Saudi coast just north of Yemen. Had the attack succeeded, say analysts, it could have shaken the world crude oil market.
The explosive-packed skiff was a mile from the terminal's off-loading buoys when stopped by gunfire.
Pictures released by the ministry show the boat heading toward the facility, and then a large explosion in the water after strikes on the target by the Saudi Coast Guard. The ministry stopped short of blaming the Houthis for the incident, but called it a “terrorist attack,” and issued a veiled warning to the Houthis' sponsor, Iran.
The statement said Saudi forces will remain vigilant against “those standing behind Houthi militias working to threaten the security of waterways and sea facilities.”
On January 30, a Saudi Navy frigate was attacked by the Houthis, killing two Saudi sailors. Although initial reports suggested a missile or suicide attack, the U.S. Navy later assessed that for the first time the Houthis had deployed an unmanned “drone” attack boat, and used Iranian technology.
A senior U.S. intelligence official told NBC News a U.S. Navy ship was nearby when the January attack took place.