Flames Seen Near Riyadh Airport Amid Yemen Fighting, Fuel Tank On Fire: Report

Two residents of the Saudi capital saw black smoke and flames emanating from an area near Riyadh's international airport on Saturday, while other people in the city reported hearing explosions.

"In the direction of the airport we saw black smoke and fire," one of the residents told AFP.

An AFP journalist later said an Aramco fuel tank near Riyadh airport was on fire. Firefighters could be seen trying to extinguish the flames of a burnt out fuel tank with the Saudi oil giant Aramco logo appearing on the structure.

Aircraft tracking website FlightRadar24 reported major issues at the Saudi capital's Riyadh King Khalid International Airport, including cancellations and delays.

The airport was listed under the site's maximum disruption index of 5.0, meaning the airport was seeing "major problems with long delays and several cancelled flights".

The disruption follows an overnight air raid alert issued by Saudi authorities, the first since fighting in neighbouring Yemen intensified this month.

Hours after the early morning alert, residents told AFP on condition of anonymity that they heard what sounded like another round of explosions echoing through parts of the Saudi capital.

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