Flames and black smoke seen near Riyadh airport — Cyprus Mail
In Saudi Arabia, a large column of black smoke was visible near Riyadh's main airport on Saturday. Before that, civil defense services issued warnings overnight about a possible threat of aerial attacks in the capital and the city of Al-Kharj east of it.
Smoke and flames near the airport
As Cyprus Mail reports, citing Reuters, video footage and photographs captured a large column of black smoke in the area of King Khalid International Airport. The footage showed the highway to the airport, the main terminal building and other infrastructure facilities.
One video also showed flames rising behind structures resembling fuel tanks. Saudi Arabia's government press service did not immediately provide Reuters with a comment on the smoke and the overnight warnings.
Civil defense sent messages to residents' phones overnight and announced the all-clear in the morning. A Reuters journalist in Riyadh's Olaya district heard loud sounds before the all-clear message was sent.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Escalation with the Houthis
The warnings came amid intensified attacks by Yemen's Houthi group against Saudi Arabia. The Houthis control Yemen's most densely populated areas and a significant part of the country's north. Since July, they have been attacking Saudi Arabia after Riyadh announced a naval blockade; targets have included Saudi vessels in the Red Sea, cities, energy infrastructure and shipping.
On Friday, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group had thwarted unspecified "criminal attempts" in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, accusing Saudi Arabia and promising a response. The Houthis also claim that the Saudi Air Force has carried out hundreds of airstrikes against them in recent days.
In a statement on Friday, the UN Security Council condemned the Houthis' continuing attacks on Saudi Arabia, including those that affected civilian and energy infrastructure and resulted in civilian injuries. The Security Council also condemned the Houthis' military escalation in Yemen.
