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

Key Points:

• A column of black smoke was seen near Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport following air raid alerts, marking the first time residents were urged to stay indoors amid escalating conflict with Iran-backed Houthi militants from Yemen.
• Explosions were reported in Riyadh, with a fuel tank belonging to Saudi state oil company Aramco reportedly set on fire, though Saudi authorities have not officially commented.
• The Saudi Civil Defence issued overnight alerts warning of potential danger before declaring an all-clear on Saturday morning, while residents described hearing explosions and feeling tremors.
• The Houthis claimed to have thwarted Saudi attacks on Yemen’s capital Sanaa and warned of retaliation, amid ongoing heavy fighting that reportedly killed 48 combatants on Saturday and displaced over 104,000 people.
• The Houthis recently took control of strategic locations including Mokha port and Perim Island, impacting key Red Sea shipping routes used by Saudi Arabia for oil exports, in response to a Saudi blockade of Houthi-controlled areas.