A report yesterday in London’s The Mail on Sunday newspaper — that two light planes loaded with explosives had been seized by authorities at a Saudi Arabian airport — was later denied by authorities. According to The Mail, the aircraft were discovered near Riyadh’s King Khalid airport, and were intended to be used in a suicide plot to ram a Western airliner, most likely from British Airways, and blow it up as it taxied. “A Saudi security official confirmed that the story … was not true,” the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported yesterday, according to Reuters. “The official said neither the British Foreign Office nor British Airways are able to confirm such information,” the SPA said.
The Mail quoted a U.K. government spokesman, Patrick Mercer, as its source. Mercer reportedly also said the Saudi Arabian government had tried to cover up the incident. It was unclear from the published reports when the alleged incident took place.
…And Light Aircraft Named As Threats Abroad…
Key Takeaways:
- A UK newspaper reported the seizure of two explosive-laden planes near Saudi Arabia's King Khalid airport, intended for a suicide attack on a Western airliner.
- Saudi authorities officially denied the report, stating it was false and unconfirmed by British officials or British Airways.
- The UK newspaper's source was reportedly a UK government spokesman who also suggested a Saudi cover-up of the alleged incident.
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