RIYADH — Saudi forces on Tuesday destroyed an
explosive-laden boat off the coast of the Red Sea port of
Yanbu, the defense
ministry said.
اضافة اعلان
“A bomb-laden unmanned (vessel) was intercepted and
destroyed this morning,” the ministry said in a statement, published by the
official Saudi Press Agency.
“Naval units were able to detect and monitor the activity of
the bomb-laden (boat) in the
Red Sea waters off the shores of Yanbu.”
No group has so far claimed responsibility for the incident,
which the ministry said was under investigation.
The incident comes as fighting escalates in neighboring
Yemen between Saudi-backed government forces and Iran-aligned Houthi rebels.
Yanbu, 860km east of the Saudi capital Riyadh, lies some
975km north of Saudi’s frontier with
Yemen.
Houthi insurgents are ramping up a bloody offensive to seize
the oil-rich Marib region, the Yemeni government’s last stronghold in northern
Yemen.
The Houthis, who are battling the Saudi-led military
coalition that intervened in Yemen’s war in 2015, have also stepped up drone
and missile strikes on Saudi targets, including its oil facilities.
The rebels have used bomb-rigged boats in the past to target
the kingdom.
Last week, Greece said it will transfer a Patriot missile
battery to Saudi Arabia to protect its critical energy infrastructure, as the
Gulf kingdom grapples with the growing attacks.
Maritime security firm Dryad Global said it had received
reports that a ship had been “attacked” off Yanbu.
But the firm later said the ship was “not involved in the
incident” and it will continue to investigate.
Read more Middle East news
.jpg)
.jpg)
