A thick column of black smoke rose near Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on Saturday after explosions were heard across the Saudi capital, amid a sharp escalation in attacks by Yemen’s Houthi movement.
Reuters footage showed smoke rising from the area of a fuel storage depot, with the airport highway, terminal building and other facilities visible in the foreground. Saudi authorities did not immediately comment on the cause of the fire or confirm whether the depot had been hit.
Saudi civil defence sent overnight alerts warning residents in Riyadh and the nearby city of Al-Kharj about possible danger. An all-clear was issued on Saturday morning. A Reuters journalist in the capital’s Olaya district said several loud explosions were heard before the alert was lifted, according to Reuters.
The warnings were the first issued in Riyadh since the latest confrontation with the Houthis began in July. Earlier alerts this year had followed the outbreak of the US-Iran war.
The Houthis control Yemen’s most populated areas and much of the country’s north. Since July, they have launched attacks towards Saudi Arabia after declaring a naval blockade against the kingdom. Their strikes have reportedly targeted Saudi vessels in the Red Sea, raising fresh concerns about the safety of a major route for global energy shipments.
The attacks threaten to disrupt the main alternative route for Gulf oil exports while traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked.
On Friday, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group had stopped what he called “criminal attempts” in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa. He blamed Saudi Arabia and promised a response. The Houthis also claim that Saudi aircraft have carried out hundreds of airstrikes against their positions in recent days.
The United Nations Security Council condemned the Houthi attacks, including strikes on civilian and energy infrastructure that reportedly injured civilians, including women and children. It demanded an immediate end to the military escalation and attacks on civilian targets.
The council also voiced concern over the deepening humanitarian crisis in Yemen. At least 125,000 people have been displaced since the beginning of September, according to the UN. Council members called for safe humanitarian access, the release of detained aid workers and renewed efforts to achieve a negotiated political settlement.
