Saudi coalition says drone aimed at Mecca as Houthis deny claim

Saudi Arabia’s-led coalition said its air defenses destroyed a Houthi-deployed drone before it entered Mecca’s airspace, while a Houthi official called the allegation a “lie.” The dispute came as attacks linked to the Yemen conflict intensified and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation condemned what it described as an attack on holy sites.

A Saudi Arabia-led military coalition said on Wednesday that its air defenses intercepted and destroyed a drone it attributed to Yemen’s Houthi movement before it entered the airspace of Mecca. The coalition described the security of Mecca and the other holy sites, as well as the safety of pilgrims, as a “red line,” according to a statement shared by its spokesman, Turki al-Maliki, on X.

Saudi Arabia had issued alerts on Tuesday warning of possible attacks in Mecca and the kingdom’s southern region, which borders Yemen. The coalition did not provide further details in the supplied statement about the drone’s launch point or the intended target beyond its assertion that it had been launched by the Houthis.

The Houthis rejected the accusation. Hazem al-Assad, identified by DW as a high-ranking Houthi member, wrote on X that claims the movement had targeted Mecca were a “worn-out lie” that no longer convinced anyone. The competing accounts could not be independently resolved from the supplied material.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation, a bloc of 57 Muslim nations, condemned what it called a “heinous” attack. Its General Secretariat said any violation of the sanctity of holy sites was unacceptable and intolerable and called for those responsible to be deterred.

The allegation comes amid escalating violence involving the Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces. DW reported that Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia injured 13 people on Monday night, taking the total number injured since the conflict escalated in July to about 100.

The source also reported that the Houthis blocked Saudi oil shipping in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in July. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman subsequently contacted Egypt about support against the rebels, with the leaders discussing freedom and security of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab. The US Embassy in Saudi Arabia separately advised American citizens to reconsider travel to the kingdom, citing risks including drone and missile attacks and armed conflict.