Saudi Arabia: East-West Pipeline Targeted and Shut Down as a Precaution

Al-Taj News – A Saudi Ministry of Energy official said that the East-West Pipeline in the Riyadh and Medina regions was targeted several times on Thursday morning, prompting authorities to shut down the pipeline as a precaution.

The source explained that emergency teams and specialized technical teams immediately began work following the attacks and took the necessary measures to secure the pipeline and verify its safety, in accordance with approved safety procedures and emergency plans, in coordination with the relevant authorities. Any developments will be announced in due course.

He noted that the attacks resulted in some injuries, and that the necessary medical care was provided to those injured, without specifying the nature or number of the injuries.

A U.S. official told CNN that an initial analysis showed that pumping stations located adjacent to the pipeline itself had been bombed. Satellite imagery taken on Friday appeared to show extensive damage caused by a fire at one of the pumping stations, while an image of another pumping station, taken on Thursday, showed a small fire emitting thick black smoke.

It was not immediately clear who was behind the strikes or whether parts of the pipeline itself had been damaged, but one official said that the pipeline had been targeted by drones launched from Iraq. Sources also said it was not immediately clear how long the process of repairing the damage would take.