Smoke and fire observed near Riyadh airport after nationwide air-raid alerts
Air-raid warnings were issued across Saudi cities as flames and black smoke rose from a fuel tank near Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport, prompting firefighting efforts and temporary airport disruptions.
Flames and a thick plume of black smoke were seen above Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport on Saturday after Saudi authorities sent air-raid alerts to residents overnight. The alerts, the first of their kind for the capital since the conflict with Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen intensified in July, warned of possible aerial attacks.
Witnesses reported hearing explosions in the city and seeing a burning fuel tank marked with the Saudi oil company Aramco's logo near the airport. One resident, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, "In the direction of the airport, we saw black smoke and fire."
The Saudi civil defence force also issued alerts for Jeddah and the industrial port city of Yanbu, home to key oil facilities, before issuing an all-clear and advising people to avoid large gatherings. Flight tracking service FlightRadar24 listed the airport as experiencing "major problems" and placed it at the highest disruption level.
The United Nations Security Council condemned recent Houthi attacks on Saudi civilian and energy infrastructure, calling for stricter enforcement of the arms embargo against the group. A Houthi spokesperson claimed the movement had thwarted "criminal attempts" in Yemen's capital and warned of retaliation, while also accusing the Saudi air force of conducting hundreds of strikes in recent days.