ALBAWABA — Flames and thick black smoke were spotted near King Khalid International Airport on Saturday, hours after explosions were heard in the Saudi capital amid escalating tensions with Yemen’s Houthis.
Witnesses cited by AFP and Reuters reported seeing fire and a large column of smoke in the direction of the airport. However, Saudi authorities had not confirmed that the airport itself was directly attacked, and there were no immediate official reports of casualties or damage to its facilities.
The incident coincided with significant disruption to air traffic in Riyadh. According to the report, flight-tracking platform Flightradar24 showed multiple delays and cancellations and placed the airport at its highest disruption level.
Earlier, Saudi Civil Defense issued aerial-threat warnings for Riyadh and Al-Kharj, advising residents to remain in safe locations.
A Reuters journalist also reported hearing two explosions in Riyadh’s Al-Olaya district. The first warning was reportedly issued shortly before 3 a.m., before authorities announced about 30 minutes later that the immediate danger had passed.
Yemen’s Ansarallah Targeted and HIT Riyadh International Airport in Saudi Arabia FLIGHTS SUSPENDEDSome sources report that two Aramco fuel tanks north of the airport and the airport's cargo building were targeted.Runways 15L and 15R at Riyadh International Airport are out… pic.twitter.com/VQ7HoQRZh2
The developments come as tensions between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthis continue to rise.
Houthi authorities have accused Riyadh of carrying out hundreds of airstrikes on areas under their control, including Sanaa and Taiz. They claimed roughly 300 strikes had been conducted during the past week, including 26 targeting Taiz on Friday.
The Houthis have threatened to intensify operations inside Saudi Arabia in response, describing their strategy as “escalation for escalation.”
The group has also claimed attacks on Saudi economic targets in recent days, including facilities belonging to Saudi Aramco, and said its operations would continue unless the military escalation ends and restrictions it accuses Saudi Arabia of imposing on Yemeni ports and airports are lifted.
For now, the cause of the flames and smoke near Riyadh airport remains unclear, with no official confirmation linking them to a direct Houthi strike.
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