Black smoke panic near Riyadh Airport

Dense black smoke has risen near King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. It was reported that sounds of explosions were heard in the area during the night, and some eyewitnesses stated they saw flames.

Footage shared by Reuters showed a large column of smoke rising from behind the highway leading to the airport and the terminal buildings. No official statement has yet been made by Saudi authorities regarding the source of the smoke or the nature of the incident.

Saudi Arabia's Civil Defense sent "potential danger" alerts to phones in Riyadh and Al-Kharj, east of the capital, during the night. A Reuters reporter stated that sounds of explosions were heard in the Olaya district of Riyadh until a notification was sent in the morning stating that the "danger had passed."

While authorities announced in the morning that the danger had ended, it has not been confirmed whether the smoke seen near the airport is linked to the security alerts issued during the night. It was noted that the Saudi Arabian government's media office did not initially respond to questions regarding the source of the smoke and the security alerts.

OCCURRED IN THE SHADOW OF REGIONAL TENSION

The incident comes at a time when tensions between the Houthis in Yemen and Saudi Arabia are escalating. Following their declaration of a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia in July, the Iran-backed Houthis have carried out attacks targeting Saudi cities, energy infrastructure, and ships in the Red Sea.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a statement in Sana'a on Friday that they would retaliate, blaming Saudi Arabia. The Houthis also claimed that the Saudi Air Force had carried out numerous airstrikes in Yemen in recent days. These claims have not been verified by independent sources.

The United Nations Security Council has also condemned the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, noting that the attacks have affected civilian and energy infrastructure and resulted in civilian injuries.

An official statement is awaited regarding whether the dense smoke near Riyadh Airport was caused by an attack, air defense activity, or another reason.

News Source: 12punto