Mecca drone attack: Saudi Arabia shoots down Houthi drone near Mecca, says security of holy sites is a red line
Saudi Arabia says its air defences destroyed a Houthi-launched drone before it entered restricted airspace around Mecca, as tensions with Yemen’s Houthi movement rise
PTC Web Desk: Saudi Arabia has warned Yemen’s Houthi movement that the security of Islam’s two holiest sites is a “red line” after its air defences intercepted a drone near the holy city of Makkah Al-Mukarramah.
According to the Saudi-led coalition, the drone was detected and destroyed on Tuesday evening before it could enter the restricted airspace around Mecca.
Coalition spokesman Major General Turki Al-Malki described the incident as a “hostile and terrorist act” and accused the Houthi movement of launching the drone.
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Saudi authorities said the incident was the second reported attempt to target Mecca. They referred to a July 27, 2017 incident involving a ballistic missile that Saudi Arabia said was aimed at the holy city.
Al-Malki said the latest incident threatened a location that attracts millions of Muslim pilgrims from around the world. He also accused the Houthis of attempting to frighten pilgrims and put civilians and residents at risk.
The warning came amid renewed accusations between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis over military activity in Yemen.
In a statement posted on Telegram on Tuesday, Houthi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree claimed that Saudi warplanes had carried out 52 airstrikes in Yemen during the last 24 hours. He said the attacks involved F-15 and Typhoon fighter aircraft operating from Khamis Mushait and Taif airbases.
Saree alleged that some of the strikes hit civilian infrastructure, including schools, bridges and roads in Taiz governorate. He also mentioned alleged attacks in Al-Jawf, Al-Bayda, Saada and Amran.
The claims made by the Houthi spokesman were not independently verified.
“These brutal attacks will not go unanswered,” Saree said.
The latest developments add to growing tensions across West Asia, with the conflict increasingly affecting the Yemen theatre and the wider Saudi-Houthi confrontation.
The situation also has implications for the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, a key maritime route linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the corridor have already raised concerns over the safety of international maritime traffic.
Saudi Arabia’s warning over the protection of Mecca and the other holy sites signals another sharp escalation in the rhetoric between Riyadh and the Houthi movement.