Saudi Air Defenses Intercept Houthi Drone South of Mecca
Saudi air defenses intercepted a Houthi drone south of Mecca, preventing an attack on the holy city. The Saudi-led coalition vowed strict deterrent measures against the group.
Saudi air defense systems intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone yesterday south of Mecca, before it could enter the restricted airspace above the holy city, the spokesman for the Saudi-led military coalition battling the Iran-backed Houthi movement in Yemen announced.
Protecting the security of Islam's two holiest sites and the safety of pilgrims is a "red line," Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said early Wednesday, adding that the coalition will take necessary deterrent measures against the Houthis.
Mecca, home to sites sacred to Muslims worldwide, is Islam's holiest city and the focus of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam, attended by millions of Muslims each year.
Al-Maliki described the incident as the Houthis' second attempt to target Mecca, following what the coalition previously defined as the launch of a ballistic missile toward the city in July 2017.
A Houthi official dismissed the claim on Wednesday; spokesman Hazem al-Asad wrote on X: "Claims about an attempt to target Mecca are a worn-out lie, used in the past and no longer fooling anyone."
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation condemned what it termed a "despicable" attack on Islam's holy city, placing responsibility on the Houthis. The organization, comprising 57 Muslim-majority countries, strongly denounced the "ongoing aggression against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia."
