Israel-Iran war: Drones hit Kuwait's Mina ‌Al-Ahmadi ⁠oil refinery, fire breaks out

Multiple drones hit Kuwait's Mina Al-Ahmadi oil refinery early on Friday as Middle East war escalates with countries extensively targeting crucial energy infrastructure. The same asset had been hit on Thursday, sparking fires.

Kuwait's state oil firm KPC said its Mina ‌Al-Ahmadi ⁠refinery ⁠was hit by multiple drone attacks, causing ⁠a fire ‌in some units.

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As per the state news agency, no initial casualties were reported due to thr drone incident, and firefighters responded immediately. The drone attack led to closure of several units as a precaution to ensure workers' safety.

The drone attack came as Kuwait marked Eid al-Fitr, the annual celebration marking the end of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

The attack on Friday comes as Iran increasingly targets energy sites in Gulf Arab states after Israel on Wednesday bombed Iran’s massive South Pars offshore natural gas field in the Persian Gulf.

Several energy assets in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait were hit on Thursday, causing widespread tensions of oil and gas disruptions worldwide.

Drones attacked several liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities in Qatar, including Ras Laffan global LNG hub, resulting in sizeable fires and extensive damage across the complex. The recent strikes marks a major escalation in the region’s conflict, particularly given the strategic importance of the facility in global gas exports.

Also read: Iran attack wipes out 17% of Qatar LNG capacity; ‘never in my wildest dreams,’ says QatarEnergy CEO

A key source of natural gas for world markets, Qatar said Iranian missiles that caused extensive damage to the Ras Laffan liquefied natural gas facility, reduced its exports by about 17 percent and will cost about $20 billion in lost revenue a year. As per the refiner, the damage will take up to five years to repair, even though production at the facility had already been halted after earlier attacks.

Saudi Arabia's Red Sea Port of Yanbu was also hit on Thursday that involved SAMREF refinery. The countey began pumping large volumes of oil west toward the Red Sea to avoid the Strait of Hormuz.

Two oil refineries in Kuwait and gas operations in Abu Dhabi also were targeted by Iran.