RIYADH — Saudi authorities said Wednesday they had intercepted an unmanned boat rigged with explosives that was sent by the Houthi militias in Yemen to target an oil plant on the Kingdom›s southwestern coast. The boat, sent from a small island off the Yemeni coast, was targeting a petroleum products distribution terminal run by Saudi Aramco when it was intercepted on Tuesday, the Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki said in a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency. "The boat was spotted when it departed from a small island in Yemeni waters and gained speed after entering Saudi waters,» Al-Turki said. After determining that the boat was unmanned and operated by remote control, a Border Guard unit at Ashiq Center in Al-Mousim Sector opened fire on its engine and stopped it 1.5 miles (2.8 kilometers) from the terminal in the Jazan province, Al-Turki said. The spokesman said the Border Guards, in coordination with the Saudi Royal Naval Forces, checked the boat and found that it was laden with strong explosive material. Al-Turki said the ministry was determined to foil all terrorist attempts against the Kingdom and defend the nation's land and sea borders. "The Border Guards are working hand in hand with their colleagues in the Armed Forces to reach those behind the Houthi militias, who threaten the security of the Saudi waterways and marine facilities with booby-traps and mines, and will sternly deal with them and defeat their aggression," the spokesman said.
