Black smoke has been seen near Riyadh International Airport, occurring just hours after airstrike warnings were issued in the Saudi capital. These warnings were first announced to residents, urging them to stay indoors.
Problems at King Khalid International Airport
Following these warnings, several explosions were heard in the capital, and significant reports of issues at King Khalid International Airport were received. The flight tracking website FlightRadar24 reported delays and cancellations on this day.
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A report indicated that a fuel tank near the airport was on fire. No official comments have yet been made by Saudi authorities regarding this matter.
Civil Defense Warnings and Residents' Reactions
A reporter from a news agency reported that firefighters were attempting to extinguish the fire of a fuel tank belonging to the state oil and gas company Aramco. Saudi civil defense sent warnings to phones last night, alerting about potential dangers in Riyadh and other areas, before announcing on Saturday morning that the danger had passed.
Residents anonymously stated that they heard explosions echoing throughout the city. One resident in northern Riyadh said: "I heard the siren and then my windows shook. It was really scary. I didn't expect this."
On Friday, Houthi militants claimed to have thwarted Saudi attacks on the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, attributing these attacks to ISIS operations. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree stated that Saudi Arabia conducted 300 attacks across Yemen last week and warned that these attacks on Sana'a would not go unanswered.
The Houthis are engaged in a civil war with the internationally recognized Yemeni government, which is supported by Saudi Arabia. They have attacked several targets in Saudi Arabia in recent months and recently claimed to have shot down a Saudi fighter jet in Yemen.
According to an unverified report, clashes between the Houthis and Saudi government forces left 48 dead on Saturday. The Houthis reported that 31 of their forces were killed, while government sources reported 17 soldiers killed.
The International Organization for Migration, a UN-affiliated agency, reported on Friday that the number of people displaced due to recent conflicts has exceeded 104,796.
The Houthis have recently taken control of the strategic port city of Al-Mokha and the island of Perim, which serves as a gateway for a key transport route used by the Gulf government for exports to Asia and Europe.
The group claims that the naval blockade is in response to the Saudi blockade of Houthi-controlled ports and airports in northwestern Yemen.
Saudi ships have used that part of the Red Sea for their oil exports, while the US and Israel's war with Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz.
On Friday, investment banking giant JPMorgan stated that it is facing challenges in predicting the impact of the war on oil prices and informed investors in a rare note that "we simply do not know how to model the endgame."
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