Saudi Arabia’s air defences intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca on Tuesday before it entered prohibited airspace over the holy city, according to a spokesperson for the Saudi-led military coalition which is fighting the Iran-aligned group in Yemen.
The security of Islam’s two holiest sites and of pilgrims was a “red line”, coalition spokesperson Turki al-Malki said early on Wednesday, adding that the coalition would take necessary deterrent measures against the Houthis.
Mecca, home to shrines sacred to Muslims worldwide, is Islam’s holiest city and the focal point of the annual hajj pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam, which millions of Muslims undertake each year.
Malki described the incident as the second Houthi attempt to target Mecca, after what the coalition said was a ballistic missile launch in July 2017.
A Houthi official rejected the claim on Wednesday, with spokesperson Hazem al-Assad writing on X: “The claims about targeting Mecca are a worn-out lie that has been used before and no longer fools anyone.”
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation condemned what they called a “heinous” attack on Islam’s holy city, blaming the Houthis. The group – which is made up of 57 Muslim-majority countries decried the “ongoing aggression against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
Saudi Arabia issued security alerts across parts of the country on Tuesday, including in Mecca and other cities, following a week of attacks by Iran-aligned fighters that have drawn the kingdom deeper into the Middle East war.
The US embassy issued an advisory to “reconsider travel” to Saudi Arabia after the alerts in Mecca and other areas amid Houthi attacks. The advisory warns of the “risk of Iranian drone and missile targeting of American interests, armed conflict, terrorism, exit bans and local laws regarding social media activity,” adding “Do Not Travel to the Yemen border due to threat of terrorism.”
The Houthis have seized control of parts of Yemen’s Red Sea coast overlooking the Bab al-Mandab, one of the world’s most important shipping straits, threatening Saudi oil exports rerouted from the strait of Hormuz.
The group has announced several major attacks on Saudi Arabia over the past week, including strikes on an airbase on Monday that it said were retaliation for airstrikes on Yemen.
With Reuters and Agence France-Presse
