Aramco facilities on fire in Saudi Arabia

[DarkHunter]

This happened only a short time ago so not a lot of information, especially since the Saudi government put a gag order on anyone within the country reporting on it with the threat of severe punishment.

https://mobile.twitter.com/no_itsmyturn/status/1172694945926406145

In some of the videos what sounds like small arms can be heard being fired.

This is complete speculation but I have a gut feeling the Houthis are involved and stuff might be getting worse for Yemen soon.

Edited September 14, 2019 by DarkHunter

[+susieice]

I found this about an attack that happened on August 17th. Is this another one that's taking place now?

https://time.com/5654759/yemen-rebels-saudi-oil-field-fire/

[DarkHunter]

1 minute ago, susieice said:

I found this about an attack that happened on August 17th. Is this another one that's taking place now?

https://time.com/5654759/yemen-rebels-saudi-oil-field-fire/

This is a completely separate attack that seems to of started approximately an hour ago.

Seems the small fire heard could be antiaircraft cannons and other videos seem to show explosions occuring, whether they are from further attacks or from the fire spreading isnt clear.

[+susieice]

1 minute ago, DarkHunter said:

This is a completely separate attack that seems to of started approximately an hour ago.

Seems the small fire heard could be antiaircraft cannons and other videos seem to show explosions occuring, whether they are from further attacks or from the fire spreading isnt clear.

Oh wow. This doesn't sound good. Yemen may well be involved.

[DarkHunter]

4 minutes ago, susieice said:

Oh wow. This doesn't sound good. Yemen may well be involved.

Seems the attack took place at Buqayq which is far away from Yemen so if this is Houthi related they attacked a target about 600 miles away with a lot of firepower.

[+susieice]

2 minutes ago, DarkHunter said:

Seems the attack took place at Buqayq which is far away from Yemen so if this is Houthi related they attacked a target about 600 miles away with a lot of firepower.

Would they even have the ability to do that? Could Iran have something to do with this?

[DarkHunter]

Just now, susieice said:

Would they even have the ability to do that? Could Iran have something to do with this?

Iran has been supplying the Houthis with ballistic missiles and suicide drones.  The only missile the Houthis have got from Iran that is even remotely close to the needed range is the Burkan-2 with a range of 530 miles.  They have fired them at Saudi Arabia before but I dont remember ever hearing of multiple ones being fired at one time.

[+and-then]

With this in addition to Hamas' moves in Israel, the balloon may be about to go up.

[toast]

Quote

Drones hit 2 Saudi Aramco oil facilities, cause fires

Blazes at major oil facilities in Abqaiq and Khurais brought under control, interior ministry says.

Drone attacks have caused fires at two major facilities run by Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia's state-owned oil giant.

Citing an interior ministry spokesperson, the official Saudi Press Agency said on Saturday the blazes at the facilities in Abqaiq and Khurais were under control.

ALJAZEERA

 

[Sir Smoke aLot]

They wanted war and it seems that they got it. In years of indiscriminate bombing of Yemeni civilians they haven't found a way to resolve the situation and now there is growing risk for Saudi civilians, if Houtis decide to target them that is. I am not sure if i could blame them. God knows how many families were destroyed in Yemen so far...

[DarkHunter]

Drone attack as it's being reported doesnt make much sense.  The facilities attacked were approximately 600 miles away from the Yemen border, the Houthis are using Iranian drones and of the drones Iran has only two combat models that have the needed range and they are the Fotros and the Shahed 129.  

Either the attack had to of originated deep within Saudi Arabia, the Houthis had to of been given combat drones that it has never been given before, or the attack came from somewhere else/something else was used.  As far as I remember the Houthis have only been using Ababil drones to attack Saudi Arabia and they only have a range of about 75 miles.

Edited September 14, 2019 by DarkHunter

[DarkHunter]

Houthis just took credit for the attack and claimed it was done with 10 drones but I'm still curious on what drones were used in this attack. 

Attacking a target 600 miles deep into Saudi Arabia is a significant increase of Houthi combat ability.

[+and-then]

1 hour ago, DarkHunter said:

Houthis just took credit for the attack and claimed it was done with 10 drones but I'm still curious on what drones were used in this attack. 

Attacking a target 600 miles deep into Saudi Arabia is a significant increase of Houthi combat ability.

If Iran is seen to be significantly interfering with Saudi production via their Yemeni proxies that situation  is apt to become much more complicated for the Houthis.

[Setton]

2 hours ago, DarkHunter said:

Drone attack as it's being reported doesnt make much sense.  The facilities attacked were approximately 600 miles away from the Yemen border, the Houthis are using Iranian drones and of the drones Iran has only two combat models that have the needed range and they are the Fotros and the Shahed 129.  

Either the attack had to of originated deep within Saudi Arabia, the Houthis had to of been given combat drones that it has never been given before, or the attack came from somewhere else/something else was used.  As far as I remember the Houthis have only been using Ababil drones to attack Saudi Arabia and they only have a range of about 75 miles.

Probably not from Yemen then. 

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/416f57dc-f3a5-454b-aa14-8e6eea71f4fa

[+and-then]

45 minutes ago, Setton said:

Probably not from Yemen then. 

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/416f57dc-f3a5-454b-aa14-8e6eea71f4fa

This story makes more sense.  Iran is using its power to impose pain on shipping in the straits as a form of leverage against U.S. sanctions and that Saudi Pipeline weakens that leverage somewhat.  If those kinds of attacks became common and actually began to seriously impede the flow of Saudi oil, the U.S. might have to take a more "kinetic" role in SA's security.  The mullahs seem intent on pressing on all fronts in an effort to make the U.S. and Israel back down and get out of the way of the Iranian ambitions for the region.  I don't believe their plans are going to have positive outcomes.

[DarkHunter]

2 hours ago, Setton said:

Probably not from Yemen then. 

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/416f57dc-f3a5-454b-aa14-8e6eea71f4fa

Even if the attack came from Iraq and was from the closet point which would be where Iraq, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia meet that is still over 250 miles.  While less then half the distance it would still require Iran supply longer range drones then they have before.  No matter where the attack came from the Houthis have shown that just about anywhere in Saudi Arabia can now be hit.

On an unrelated note cause I rather do everything in one post it seems the effect of the attacks will be effecting Saudi oil output by about 5 million barrels of oil per day.  To put this in perspective Saudi Arabia produces generally slightly over 12 million barrels of oil per day.

Edited September 14, 2019 by DarkHunter

[+susieice]

It seems Houthis has claimed responsibility for the attacks.

https://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFKCN1VZ01R

[Gromdor]

The stuff I have been readings says the drones have a range of 900 miles.  But that's not what surprised everyone.  It was the size of the payload.

[DarkHunter]

Some pictures of what were used are starting to show up online and the wreckage matches cruise missiles that the Houthis have received from Iran.  

Seems the attack might of been a mix of drones and cruise missiles.

[Setton]

3 hours ago, DarkHunter said:

Even if the attack came from Iraq and was from the closet point which would be where Iraq, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia meet that is still over 250 miles.  While less then half the distance it would still require Iran supply longer range drones then they have before.  No matter where the attack came from the Houthis have shown that just about anywhere in Saudi Arabia can now be hit.

Or its not the Houthis... 

[+and-then]

3 hours ago, DarkHunter said:

Some pictures of what were used are starting to show up online and the wreckage matches cruise missiles that the Houthis have received from Iran.  

Seems the attack might of been a mix of drones and cruise missiles.

It seems like this strike could be a game-changer.  That's a significant reduction.  It may well be time for a naval and air blockade on Yemen.  Nothing allowed through except food and medicine.

[DarkHunter]

44 minutes ago, Setton said:

Or its not the Houthis... 

The Houthis already said they were behind the attack and long range ground launched cruise missile debris has been found at the attacked facilities.

More then likely the early reports of drones were wrong and this was largely or completely a large cruise missile strike.

[Space Commander Travis]

Say what you like about the Houthis (and I'm sure the people who regularly discuss the Houthis were experts on the Houthis long before any of the rest of us had ever heard of them), they seem to have cost-effective warfare down to a T.  To find and hit their target successfully over such a distance with what are essentially radio-controlled model planes is pretty impressive in anyone's book. I suppose they're virtually undetectable to radar, but to fly them that far? Seems a tall order. Most probably they were despatched from somewhere a lot nearer, surely. 

[DarkHunter]

36 minutes ago, and then said:

It seems like this strike could be a game-changer.  That's a significant reduction.  It may well be time for a naval and air blockade on Yemen.  Nothing allowed through except food and medicine.

Saudi Arabia is claiming that they will begin production again at the facilities in a few days but losing approximately 42% of their oil production is without a game changer both in the conflict with Yemen and strategically on a global scale.  

More then likely a complete blockade is one of the few things that can be done that would have an effect.  It wouldnt defeat the Houthis but it would cripple their ability to do any further attacks.

[DarkHunter]

21 minutes ago, Dumbledore the Awesome said:

Say what you like about the Houthis (and I'm sure the people who regularly discuss the Houthis were experts on the Houthis long before any of the rest of us had ever heard of them), they seem to have cost-effective warfare down to a T.  To find and hit their target successfully over such a distance with what are essentially radio-controlled model planes is pretty impressive in anyone's book. I suppose they're virtually undetectable to radar, but to fly them that far? Seems a tall order. Most probably they were despatched from somewhere a lot nearer, surely. 

The attack seems to of largely been done with Quds-1 cruise missiles, which are essentially Iranian Soumar cruise missiles.  Just about every weapon the Houthis have used to attack Saudi Arabia have been rather advanced weapon systems imported from Iran.  They do use essentially radio controlled planes but those are generally used to attack border airbases and Saudi patrols along the border.