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Pakistan denounces drone attacks on oil pumping stations in Saudi Arabia

Pakistan denounces drone attacks on oil pumping stations in Saudi Arabia
May 15, 2019
ISLAMABAD (92 News) – Pakistan on Wednesday condemned the drone attacks on oil pumping stations in eastern province of Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. In a statement, the Foreign Office (FO) said that Pakistan expressed its solidarity with Saudi Arabia and reiterated its full support against any threat to stability and security of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. “Pakistan condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and reaffirms its commitment for continued efforts and cooperation with Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the international community for its elimination,” it said. Saudi Arabia, the world’s top crude exporter, said Wednesday that attacks on two of its tankers and a major pipeline targeted the security of global oil supplies. Drone attacks claimed by Yemen’s Huthis shut down one of the kingdom’s main oil pipelines on Tuesday, further ratcheting up Gulf tensions after the mysterious sabotage of four ships, two of them Saudi tankers, on Sunday.
Saudi Arabia says its oil tankers among those hit off UAE coast
On may 13, Saudi Arabia said that two of its oil tankers were among those attacked off the coast of the United Arab Emirates and described it as an attempt to undermine the security of crude supplies amid tensions between the United States and Iran.
The UAE said on Sunday that four commercial vessels were sabotaged near Fujairah emirate, one of the world’s largest bunkering hubs lying just outside the Strait of Hormuz. It did not describe the nature of the attack or say who was behind it.

The UAE had not given the nationalities or other details about the ownership of the four vessels. Riyadh identified two of them as Saudi and a Norwegian company said it owned another. Reuters images showed the fourth vessel was the UAE-flagged A. Michel, a fuel bunker barge.

Thome Ship Management said its Norwegian-registered oil products tanker MT Andrew Victory was “struck by an unknown object”. Footage seen by Reuters showed a hole in the hull at the waterline with the metal torn open inwards. A Reuters witness said divers were inspecting damaged ships. A United States defence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the U.S. military was assisting in the investigation at the request of the UAE government. Iran, which is embroiled in an escalating war of words with the United States over sanctions and the US military’s presence in the region, moved to distance itself on Monday. Iran’s Foreign Ministry called the incidents “worrisome and dreadful” and asked for an investigation into the matter. A senior Iranian lawmaker said “saboteurs from a third country” could be behind it, after saying on Sunday the incident showed the security of Gulf states was fragile. Highlighting international concerns, Britain’s Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt warned of the risks of “a conflict happening by accident” with an unintended escalation between Washington and Tehran over an unravelling nuclear deal.