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 London newspaper reported that Saudi authorities seized two explosive-laden light planes intended for a suicide attack on a Western airliner at King Khalid Airport.
- Saudi authorities officially denied the report, stating the story was "not true."
- While the newspaper quoted a U.K. government spokesman, Saudi officials noted that neither the British Foreign Office nor British Airways could confirm the alleged incident.
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