Graphic shows recent attacks on shipping and Saudi oil infrastructure.
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‘External source’ causes oil tanker blast off Saudi Arabia

December 14, 2020 - An oil tanker off Saudi Arabia’s port city of Jeddah suffered an explosion early Monday after being hit by “an external source,” a shipping company said, suggesting another vessel has come under attack off the kingdom amid its years-long war in Yemen.

The Singapore-flagged BW Rhine saw all 22 sailors on board escape without injury, the BW Group said in a statement. The company warned it was possible some oil leaked out from the site of the blast.

Saudi Arabia did not immediately acknowledge the blast, which struck off a crucial port and distribution centre for its oil trade. Last month, a mine damaged another tanker off Saudi Arabia in an attack that authorities blamed on Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

Sources
PUBLISHED: 14/12/2020; STORY: Graphic News
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