Saudi Arabia Intercepts Drone Threat Near Mecca Amid Renewed Houthi Tensions
Photo: Collected
Saudi Arabia has accused Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen of launching a drone toward the holy city of Mecca, a claim that has been strongly denied by the group amid a fresh flare-up of tensions between the two adversaries.
Turki al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, stated that Saudi air defense forces detected and shot down the hostile drone on Tuesday evening before it could enter restricted airspace. Al-Maliki condemned the incident as an attempt to spread panic among worshippers and harm civilians, warning that there would be no compromise regarding the security of Islam's two holy mosques and their visitors.
The incident prompted the Saudi government to briefly issue a security alert in Mecca, the first such warning in the city since a Houthi attack attempt in 2017. The alert was lifted minutes later, while similar warnings were also issued in Taif and Saudi Arabia's second-largest city, Jeddah.
The Houthis, however, rejected the accusation, asserting that they never target holy sites. According to a statement published by Yemen's Saba news agency citing a military source, the group unequivocally dismissed claims of any threat emanating from Yemen toward Mecca or other holy locations, labeling the allegations as misinformation.
Tensions have escalated amid broader regional conflicts. The Saudi-led coalition reported that Houthi attacks using ballistic missiles and drones struck civilian infrastructure in the southern Saudi cities of Khamis Mushait, Abha, and Taif, injuring 13 civilians and damaging seven homes and two vehicles.
The recent military friction is rooted in Yemen's protracted civil war, which intensified in 2015 when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, ousting the internationally recognized government and drawing Saudi Arabia into the conflict. Strategic maneuvers have further heightened stakes, with the Houthis advancing along Yemen's western coast, threatening a local ceasefire, capturing the strategic Red Sea port city of Mokha, and taking control of Mayun Island near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, giving them strategic leverage over critical maritime trade routes.
