Smoke seen near Riyadh airport after air raid alerts in Saudi capital

Figure caption, Watch: Thick black plumes of smoke rise from near Riyadh's international airport

A column of black smoke has been seen near Riyadh's international airport hours after air raid alerts were issued in the Saudi capital.

It was the first time residents had been given an alert and urged to stay indoors since a recent escalation in the conflict with Iran-backed Houthi militants in neighbouring Yemen.

A number of apparent explosions have since been heard in the capital and major problems reported at King Khalid International Airport, with the tracking website FlightRadar24 reporting long delays and cancellations.

One report suggested a fuel tank had been set on fire near the airport. There has been no official comment from Saudi authorities.

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Published 2 days ago Saudi Arabia issues first air raid alerts for Riyadh since Houthis escalated attacks