22:53

Smoke was seen on Thursday in the vicinity of Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline.

Axar.az reports, citing Reuters, that there was no immediate confirmation from Saudi authorities of an incident in the area. Saudi government officials and oil giant Aramco did not immediately comment on the reports.

The pipeline has become an important route for Saudi Arabia to divert crude exports away from the Strait of Hormuz, where shipping traffic has sharply declined amid escalating tensions in the region.

Satellite imagery showed black smoke rising from an area of the pipeline south of Medina.

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Saudi Arabia temporarily shut down its East-West Pipeline after it was targeted in several attacks in the Riyadh and Madinah regions, the Energy Ministry said.

According to reports, several people were injured in the attacks on Thursday and received medical treatment.

Emergency and specialized teams were deployed to secure the pipeline and assess its safety. The ministry said the shutdown was a precautionary measure.

The Iran-backed Houthis have recently targeted Saudi civilian and energy infrastructure, causing fires at oil facilities and disrupting some operations.