Riyadh,  September 14: Fires broke out at two Saudi Aramco oil facilities after they were struck by drones early Saturday, the kingdom's interior ministry said. "At 4.00 am (0100 GMT) the industrial security teams of Aramco started dealing with fires at two of its facilities in Abqaiq and Khurais as a result of... drones," the ministry said in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency. Rio de Janeiro Hospital Fire Kills 11 People in Brazil, Many Elderly.

"The two fires have been controlled." The statement added that an investigation had been launched after the attack in the kingdom's Eastern Province but did not specify the source of the drones. Last month, an attack claimed by Yemen's Huthi rebels sparked a fire at Aramco's Shaybah natural gas liquefaction facility but no casualties were reported by the company.

In recent months, the Huthi rebels have carried out a spate of cross-border missile and drone attacks targeting Saudi air bases and other facilities in what it says is retaliation for a Saudi-led air war on rebel-held areas of Yemen. There was no immediate claim of responsibility from the rebels for Saturday's attacks.

Tensions in the Gulf have soared since May, with US President Donald Trump calling off air strikes against Iran at the last minute in June after it downed a US drone. The United States and Saudi Arabia have also blamed Iran for multiple attacks on tankers in the Gulf.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 14, 2019 11:39 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).