By Dwayne Ferreira.
Saudi Arabia says its air defences destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca. Yemen’s Houthis deny targeting the Islamic holy city.
Saudi Arabia says its air defences intercepted and destroyed a drone launched by Yemen’s Houthis before it entered restricted airspace over the Islamic holy city of Mecca, an allegation the Houthi movement has rejected.
A spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen said the drone was destroyed south of Mecca on Wednesday as regional hostilities continued to widen.
The Houthis denied that they had launched a drone towards Mecca, describing the Saudi accusation as false.
Drone Destroyed South of Mecca, Coalition Says
According to the Saudi-led military coalition, air-defence systems detected the unmanned aircraft as it approached restricted airspace.
Saudi authorities said it was destroyed before reaching Mecca.
The coalition attributed the aircraft to the Iran-aligned Houthi movement in Yemen. Reuters reported that Saudi authorities had issued alerts covering several cities, including Mecca.
No independent confirmation of the drone’s intended target was immediately available.
That distinction is particularly important because the Houthis have denied targeting the holy city.
Houthis Call Saudi Account a ‘Lie’
The Houthi movement rejected Riyadh’s version of events and said it had not launched an attack on Mecca.
The competing accounts mean the origin, flight path and intended target of the drone remain matters of dispute.
Saudi Arabia has nevertheless characterised the incident as a serious escalation because of Mecca’s religious significance.
The city contains the Grand Mosque and the Kaaba and is Islam’s holiest site.
Islamic Cooperation Body Condemns Reported Attack
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, which is headquartered in Jeddah, condemned what it described as an attack targeting Mecca.
The Guardian reported that the organisation called the incident unacceptable while the Houthis continued to deny responsibility.
The episode comes amid renewed fighting involving Houthi forces in Yemen and growing instability around key shipping routes.
Reuters reported this week that thousands of Yemenis have been fleeing towards Aden as Houthi forces advance and fighting intensifies along the Red Sea coast.
Regional concern has also increased over control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, one of the world’s most important maritime passages.
For now, Saudi Arabia and the Houthis offer sharply conflicting versions of what happened near Mecca, while the incident adds another flashpoint to an increasingly volatile regional security situation.
