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RIYADH: Saudi Arabia\u2019s 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.<\/strong><\/p>\n 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\u2019s Houthi rebels.<\/p>\n \u201cThe security of Islam\u2019s two holiest sites and the safety of pilgrims are a red line,\u201d coalition spokesperson Turki al-Malki said early Wednesday, adding that the coalition would take necessary deterrent measures against the Houthis.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The Houthis, however, denied targeting Makkah. Houthi spokesperson Hazem al-Assad rejected the Saudi claim on Wednesday, writing on X: \u201cThe claims about targeting Makkah are a worn-out lie that has been used before and no longer fools anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) condemned what it described as a \u201cheinous\u201d attack on Makkah and blamed the Houthis. The 57-member organisation also denounced what it called the \u201congoing aggression against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n