An explosion was heard at Dubai International Airport on Saturday morning, prompting airport staff to urgently direct some passengers in one terminal to evacuate to the basement floor for safety.

The incident followed mobile alerts sent to Dubai residents around 10 a.m. local time (0600 GMT) on Saturday, warning of potential missile threats in the area.

The source of the explosion remains to be confirmed. Some reports indicated that an interception operation was conducted in the airspace above the airport.

It wasn't immediately clear if there were any casualties.

(With input from agencies)