Old video falsely claimed to show a fire in Aramco Yanbu caused by Houthi missiles

(CNN)-- A video clip spread on social media showing scenes of fire at facilities belonging to Aramco, the Saudi oil giant, in Yanbu.

The video received hundreds of thousands of views on several social platforms, such as X, Facebook, and Instagram.

Publications in Arabic and English claimed that the fire was due to a direct hit by Houthi missiles. It was accompanied by a misleading description that said: “Urgent, a state of emergency is declared in Taif, ambulances are leaving King Fahd base, and fires are burning in the Aramco company and refineries in Yanbu.”

By splitting the clip into still shots and using a reverse search, we found a published version of the video on YouTube on December 18, 2013.

The title of the video at the time was: “SABIC Refinery Fire near Aramco in Yanbu.”

The recent spread of the video came after the military spokesman for the Houthis, Yahya Saree, announced on Wednesday the launching of dozens of ballistic missiles and drones at an air base in Khamis Mushait and Aramco facilities in Yanbu. While the Saudi authorities did not confirm this.