The security spokesperson of the Interior Ministry said on Tuesday that the border guards in Jazan succeeded in foiled a terror plot attempting to blow up a Saudi Aramco oil depot and distribution station using a booby-trapped boat.

The boat was spotted on Monday at the time of its launch from one of the small islands in Yemeni waters. The boat’s speed increased to 34 knots when it entered Saudi waters and it was headed to the petroleum products distribution station.

When the border patrols intercepted the boat, it became clear that there were no people on board and that it was controlled by a remote control.

The guards decided to fire at its engines and disable them before the boat could reach its target quickly since the distribution station was only one and a half nautical miles away.

In coordination with the Saudi Royal Navy forces, the inspection of the boat revealed that it was carrying heavy explosive materials. The site was then secured and the threat was dealt with in the sea.

The security spokesperson said: “The Ministry of the Interior only confirmed and declared this terrorist attempt to affirm that the border guards will be in the lookout for such terrorist attempts, to defend the country’s land and sea borders, to prevent any terrorist attempts.”

The spokesperson said that the attack is believed to have been carried out by Houthi militias in Yemen.

“We will investigate the attack and find out who stands behind the Houthi militias that are scheming to threaten the security of waterways and marine facilities with booby-trapped boats and sea mines and we will deal with their threats and aggressions accordingly,” the spokesperson said.

Last Update: Wednesday, 20 May 2020 KSA 09:50 - GMT 06:50