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Saudi military presents evidence of Iranian involvement in oil facility attacks

By Jeremy Binnie |

Iranian-made cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were used in the 14 September attacks on the Abqaiq and Khurais oil facilities but were not launched from Yemen as claimed, Saudi military spokesman Colonel Turki al-Maliki said in a press briefing four days later.

Col Maliki stands in front of the remnants of two of the three missiles that he said crashed before they reached Abqaiq. (Fayez Nureldine/AFP/Getty Images)

Col Maliki stands in front of the remnants of two of the three missiles that he said crashed before they reached Abqaiq. (Fayez Nureldine/AFP/Getty Images)

β€œThe attack was launched from the north and was unquestionably sponsored by Iran,” he said. β€œThe evidence throughout my display and briefing makes this undeniable.”

The attack was claimed by the Iranian-backed Yemeni rebel group Ansar Allah (Houthis), which said it involved 10 UAVs of three different types – including two new ones – that were launched from three different locations.

The US government had already released satellite imagery showing significantly more than 10 impact points at the two oil facilities.

Col Maliki said 18 UAVs targeted Abqaiq, with three cruise missiles falling short of the facility, and another four cruise missiles hitting Khurais. The remnants of several of the UAVs and cruise missiles used in the attack were displayed during his briefing.

He identified the cruise missile type as the Iranian-made Ya Ali, which he previously said was used against Abha International Airport on 12 June. Ansar Allah claimed that attack and subsequently displayed a ground-launched cruise missile it calls the Quds that it said was used to carry out the Abha attack.

Col Maliki identified the delta-wing UAVs that were used in the attack as the same type that appeared in the background of this photograph from the exhibition that the IRGC put on for Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in May 2014. (leader.ir)
A slide from Col Maliki's briefing shows the remnants of the cruise missiles that failed to reach Abqaiq, the approximate locations where they were found, and a May 2014 Iranian photograph of the Ya Ali missile, which he said showed a prototype. (Saudi News Channel)

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