Fire in Saudi city ahead F1 race; Yemen rebels claim attacks

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 attacked in recent days.

Dubai: A raging fire erupted Friday at an oil depot in the Saudi city of Jiddah ahead of an F1 race there, according to witnesses and video footage, 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 attacked in recent days.

Those at the F1 track could see the large black smoke cloud in the distance. The cause of the blaze was not immediately known. However, the al-Masirah satellite news channel run by Yemen's Houthi rebels said more details would be released later about their attacks. The Iran-backed Houthis did not immediately claim they were behind the Jiddah fire on Friday.

AP