Abqaiq, (Saudi Arabia): Al-Qaeda has claimed responsibility for a foiled suicide car bomb attack in Saudi Arabia on one of the world's biggest oil plants.
The claim was posted on a website frequently used by terror groups but there was no way to check its authenticity.
Saudi officials say at least two cars packed with explosives tried to enter the Abqaiq plant through a side gate.
The vehicles "exploded near the entrance and damage was limited to a small fire which was brought under control. Production operations were not affected," an interior ministry statement said.
"These plants contribute to the pillage of oil wealth from the Muslims," the al-Qaeda message claimed, vowing to publish later details of the operations which it said were carried out in the name of the fugitive bin Laden, head of the al-Qaeda terror network, and hailing the two "martyrs".
"This operation is in line with operations carried out by al-Qaeda in its war against the Christians and Jews to stop their pillage of Muslim riches and as part of a campaign to chase them out of the Arab peninsula," read the website message, the authenticity of which could not be confirmed.
The attackers opened fire on security guards, killing three and wounding ten.
They were stopped at a second security perimeter, where they detonated the explosives when security guards fired at them.
According to oil sources, the attackers wore Aramco uniforms and used cars painted in the company's colors for the attempted attack.
"The heroic mujahedeen of the squadron of Sheikh Osama bin Laden, god protect him, has successfully penetrated the oil and gas refinery in the town of Abqaiq where two car bombs were able to enter," the 'Organisation of al-Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula' wrote in a statement on its website overnight Friday.
The news of the attack has driven oil prices sharply higher, renewing investors' fears of high-energy costs and inflation.
(With AFP inputs)
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