Old Video Of An Attack On The Aramco Storage Facility In Jeddah Is Going Viral As A Recent Attack On The Abha Airport.

A video of a massive fire went viral on social media, claiming it to be a recent attack on the Abha International Airport in Saudi Arabia. 

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However, upon investigation, we discovered that the claim was misleading. This is an old video from the Saudi Aramco Storage Facility in Jeddah. Here’s the fact check.

Fact Check 

We started our investigation by taking screenshots from the viral video and conducting a reverse image search. This led us to a Facebook page where the viral video was uploaded on March 26, 2022.

The caption of the video read, “#Saudi Aramco’s Jeddah oil depot hit by Houthi attack

#Houthi groups attacked Saudi oil giant Aramco’s facilities and refineries in Jeddah on Friday, after which huge plumes of black smoke were seen rising over the Red Sea.”

Taking this clue, we conducted a relevant keyword search. This led us to the official YouTube channel of Reuters, where the viral video was uploaded on March 26, 2022. The description of the video read, “Yemen’s Houthis said they launched attacks on Saudi energy facilities on Friday and the Saudi-led coalition said oil giant Aramco’s petroleum products distribution station in Jeddah was hit, causing a fire in two storage tanks but no casualties”.

We found another report on the official YouTube channel of The Sun on March 26, 2022. The description of the video read, “DRAMATIC footage shows a HUGE explosion in Jeddah as ‘Saudi Aramco storage facility is hit by Houthi attacks’ according to reports. 

Reuters video showed a fire burning against the night sky in the Saudi Arabian Red Sea city of Jeddah on Friday (March 25), with footage from earlier showing thick plumes of black smoke billowing upwards behind a building.

Yemen’s Houthis said they launched attacks on Saudi energy facilities on Friday and the Saudi-led coalition said oil giant Aramco’s petroleum products distribution station in Jeddah was hit, causing a fire in two tanks but no casualties.

There was no immediate comment from Aramco or the energy ministry when contacted by Reuters.

The Iran-aligned Houthi movement that has been battling a coalition led by Saudi Arabia for seven years launched missiles on Aramco’s facilities in Jeddah and drones at Ras Tanura and Rabigh refineries, the group’s military spokesman said. He said they also targeted “vital facilities” in the capital Riyadh.”

This makes it clear that the viral video is old.

Conclusion 

From our investigation, we can say that the claim is misleading. The viral video doesn’t show a recent attack on the Abha International Airport in Saudi Arabia. This is an old video of an attack on the Aramco Storage Facility in Jeddah.