Blasts heard, thick smoke seen near Riyadh airport as Houthi tensions escalate

An eyewitness said flames and a large plume of black smoke rose near Riyadh airport on Saturday. There was no immediate statement from the Saudi government media office.

In Short

• An eyewitness saw flames rising near Riyadh airport on Saturday
• A large plume of black smoke was also seen nearby
• The incident was reported in the vicinity of the airport

A large column of black smoke and flames was seen near Riyadh's international airport on Saturday, hours after air raid alerts were issued across the Saudi capital.

The sighting came amid reports of several apparent explosions in Riyadh and major disruption at King Khalid International Airport. Flight-tracking website FlightRadar24 reported long delays and cancellations, while the BBC reported significant problems at the airport.

One report suggested that a fuel tank near the airport had caught fire. The cause of the fire and the reported explosions was not immediately clear, and Saudi authorities had not issued an official explanation.

An AFP journalist at the scene reported seeing firefighters attempting to extinguish flames from a burnt-out fuel tank belonging to Saudi state oil and gas company Aramco. Residents also told AFP they had heard what sounded like a series of explosions after the alerts were issued.

“In the direction of the airport we saw black smoke and fire,” one resident told AFP on condition of anonymity.

AIR RAID ALERTS ISSUED IN RIYADH

Saudi Civil Defence sent phone alerts overnight warning of potential aerial attacks in Riyadh and Al-Kharj, a city east of the capital, before issuing an all-clear on Saturday morning, Reuters reported. A Reuters journalist in Riyadh's Olaya area also heard booms before the all-clear was issued.

While some alerts had been issued in Riyadh this year following the start of the US-Iran war, Reuters reported that these were the first since the escalation involving the Houthis began in July.

The alerts came amid heightened tensions between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, who have been carrying out attacks against Saudi Arabia amid the wider regional conflict.

RISING TENSIONS WITH HOUTHIS

The developments came amid heightened tensions between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, who control large parts of north-western Yemen and are fighting the country's internationally recognised government.

On Friday, the Houthis said they had thwarted Saudi attacks on the Yemeni capital, Sanaa. The group claimed the strikes bore the hallmarks of an Islamic State operation.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya al-Sarea said Saudi Arabia had carried out 300 strikes across Yemen during the previous week. He warned that the reported attacks on Sanaa would “not go unanswered.”

The Houthis have also said they recently seized control of the strategic port city of Mokha and Perim Island, a gateway to a key shipping route used by the Gulf state to export goods and oil to Asia and Europe.

The group said its naval blockade was in retaliation for a Saudi blockade of ports and airports in Houthi-controlled north-western Yemen.

UN CONDEMNS HOUTHI ATTACKS

The UN Security Council on Friday condemned what it described as continued Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia, including attacks affecting civilian and energy infrastructure.

In a statement, the Security Council said the attacks had resulted in injuries to civilians, including women and children. It also condemned what it described as the Houthis' “military escalation in Yemen”.

On Friday, the Houthis said they had thwarted Saudi attacks on the Yemeni capital, Sanaa. The group claimed the strikes bore the hallmarks of an Islamic State operation.

- Ends