Riyadh: Saudi Arabia is on high alert after the Houthis allegedly attacked several locations, including King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, with ballistic missiles, according to The Hormuz Report. Although officials are yet to confirm the attack, various local media outlets reported that a large plume of dark smoke engulfed the airport area and several flights were suspended amid the emergency situation.
On Saturday morning, explosions were heard in the Saudi capital, with smoke rising near King Khalid International Airport in the northeastern part of the city.
Explosions were also heard in the early hours of the day, with local residents receiving alerts through a mobile app.
The Saudi Civil Defense said on the social platform X that the national early warning platform had issued an alert warning of danger in Riyadh. It announced 10 minutes later on X that the danger had passed.
The alert was reportedly the first for the Saudi capital since tensions between Yemen's Houthi group and Saudi Arabia intensified recently. The Houthis have made major gains along Yemen's Red Sea coast and around the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait since September 3, while stepping up missile and drone attacks on Saudi military and oil facilities.
The Houthis claimed that Saudi warplanes had intensified airstrikes across Yemen.