Video Released By Saudi Authorities Shows Moment Of Riyadh Airport Blast

(MENAFN- The Peninsula) AFP

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Pilgrims in white garments queued for a document check at Riyadh's international airport, when a powerful explosion brought chunks of the ceiling down on their heads, footage released on Monday by Saudi authorities showed.

Gate workers dived under their desks as passengers scrambled away from the direction of the blast, in dramatic security camera footage released by the Saudi media ministry showed the moment of the deadly strike on Saturday that killed 13 people and wounded hundreds.

Smoke and debris cloud the images, leaving only a sudden fire visible, while some blurry figures appear too shocked to flee.

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Many of the passengers in the video released by Saudi authorities appear to be pilgrims headed to Makkah on the Islamic Umrah pilgrimage, the high season of which is just beginning as the intense summer heat starts to ease in Saudi Arabia.

The official release of footage from the deadliest attack on Saudi soil in a decade is a notable development after the government for weeks offered few public details on the extent of Houthi strikes on the kingdom.

Pro-government news outlet the Saudi Gazette said the footage underscored "the danger posed to innocent travellers whose journeys are dedicated to worship", adding that the attack "raises serious questions about the Houthis' claims to religious legitimacy".

The Houthi attacks over the weekend, including a second strike on Riyadh airport on Sunday and another strike on Dammam airport, marked a sharp escalation in the Yemen war.

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