RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s air defences destroyed a Houthi drone south of Makkah on Tuesday before it entered restricted airspace over the holy city, according to a spokesperson for the Saudi-led military coalition fighting the Iran-aligned group in Yemen.
According to Arab News, Saudi air defences intercepted the drone as it attempted to enter the airspace of Makkah, in what the coalition described as a major escalation by Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
“The security of Islam’s two holiest sites and the safety of pilgrims are a red line,” coalition spokesperson Turki al-Malki said early Wednesday, adding that the coalition would take necessary deterrent measures against the Houthis.
Al-Malki described the incident as the second alleged Houthi attempt to target Makkah, following what the coalition said was a ballistic missile launch toward the holy city in July 2017.
The Houthis, however, denied targeting Makkah. Houthi spokesperson Hazem al-Assad rejected the Saudi claim on Wednesday, writing on X: “The claims about targeting Makkah are a worn-out lie that has been used before and no longer fools anyone.”
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) condemned what it described as a “heinous” attack on Makkah and blamed the Houthis. The 57-member organisation also denounced what it called the “ongoing aggression against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
Saudi Arabia issued security alerts across parts of the country on Tuesday, including Makkah and other cities, following a week of attacks by Iran-aligned fighters that have drawn the kingdom deeper into the wider Middle East conflict.
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The Houthis control parts of Yemen’s Red Sea coast overlooking the Bab al-Mandab Strait, one of the world’s most important shipping routes. The group’s attacks and threats have raised concerns about regional trade and energy shipments.
The Houthis have announced several attacks on Saudi Arabia over the past week, including strikes on an airbase on Monday that they said were carried out in retaliation for Saudi-led airstrikes on Yemen.
