ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office said on Monday it “strongly” condemned attacks on oil transport vessels in Jeddah and Al-Shuqaiq and on a petroleum distribution station in Jizan in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia said on Monday that a fuel transport ship anchored at a Jeddah terminal was attacked by an explosive-laden boat, after shipping firm Hafnia said that one of its oil tankers, the BW Rhine, had been hit by an unidentified “external source”.
A Saudi energy ministry spokesman, in a statement carried on state media, did not mention the name of the vessel or identify who was behind the attack.
Hafnia said there was an explosion and a fire while the BW Rhine was discharging at Jeddah port. The ship’s crew put out the fire and no-one was injured, it said, adding that parts of the ship’s hull had been damaged.
“These attacks threaten peace and security of Saudi Arabia, as well as the region,” Pakistan said in a statement, “We call for their immediate cessation. Pakistan reiterates its full support and solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia against any threats to its security and territorial integrity.”
“A fuel transport ship, anchored in the fuel terminal in Jeddah, was attacked by an explosive-laden boat in the early hours of this morning,” Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said, citing the ministry spokesman.
The explosion caused a small fire which was extinguished by crew members on board the Hafnia-owned vessel. There were no casualties reported.
Jeddah port’s fuel unloading facilities were not damaged after the attack on the tanker, authorities said.
“BW Rhine has been hit from an external source whilst discharging at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia at approximately 00:40 local time on 14 December 2020, causing an explosion and subsequent fire onboard,” a Hafnia statement said. “It is possible that some oil has escaped from the vessel, but this has not been confirmed and instrumentation currently indicates that oil levels on board are at the same level as before the incident.”
