Smoke and flames reported near Riyadh airport as flights disrupted
Residents reported explosions and black smoke near King Khalid International Airport after an overnight danger alert, while the cause of a reported fuel-tank fire remained unconfirmed.
Smoke and flames were reported near Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on Saturday after residents heard explosions and Saudi authorities issued an overnight danger alert covering the capital and other regions.
Residents told AFP they saw black smoke and fire near the airport, while others reported hearing explosions and feeling windows shake. An AFP journalist reportedly saw firefighters responding to a burnt-out fuel tank bearing the Saudi Aramco logo.
FlightRadar24 placed the airport at its highest disruption level, recording long delays and several cancellations. The extent of any damage to airport facilities was not established.
Saudi authorities have not identified the source of the threat or confirmed what caused the fire. It also remains unclear whether the reported explosions, the burning fuel tank and the flight disruption were connected, or whether the facility was directly hit.
The incident came amid renewed fighting involving Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels. Saudi Arabia has carried out air strikes against Houthi-held areas and supports Yemen’s internationally recognised government.
The United Nations said the renewed fighting had displaced more than 112,000 people. The conflict began in 2014, followed by a Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen in 2015.
