Home · World · Sep 16 archive
Saudi Arabia says it shot down Houthi drone south of Mecca
Confirmed
In Short: Saudi Arabia intercepted a Houthi drone near Mecca on Tuesday evening, according to the Saudi-led coalition's spokesperson, Turki al-Maliki.
Saudi Arabia intercepted a Houthi drone near Mecca on Tuesday evening, according to the Saudi-led coalition's spokesperson, Turki al-Maliki. The drone was shot down before it could enter restricted airspace, marking a significant escalation in the conflict between the Saudi-led coalition and the Iran-aligned Houthi group.
The incident prompted a security alert in Mecca, the first since the Houthis last attempted to target the city in 2017. The alert was swiftly lifted after a few minutes, but it underscored the growing threat to the holy city and the broader region.
Turki al-Maliki, the coalition spokesperson, condemned the Houthi actions, stating, 'We categorically deny that there is any threat from Yemen directed at the city of Mecca or any other holy sites.' The Houthis, however, denied targeting Mecca and claimed they do not target holy sites.
The latest attacks mark a sharp resurgence in a conflict that dates back to 2015, when Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen after the Houthis seized Sanaa and ousted the internationally recognized government. A UN-brokered truce in April 2022 largely halted Houthi attacks on Saudi territory, but hostilities have escalated again since the group declared a blockade on Saudi shipping in July.
The conflict also involves Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Iran-aligned groups across the region, with the Houthi group claiming to have shot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet in retaliation for more than 450 Saudi air strikes on their territory over the past week.
The conflict forms part of Yemen's wider civil war and is also linked to the broader regional power struggle between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Mecca, home to Islam's holiest sites and the focal point of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, remains a critical target for both sides, highlighting the religious and political dimensions of the ongoing conflict.
What's confirmed
- Saudi Arabia intercepted a Houthi drone near Mecca on Tuesday evening, according to the Saudi-led coalition's spokesperson, Turki al-Maliki. The drone was shot down before it could enter restricted airspace, marking a significant escalation in the conflict between the Saudi-led coalition and the Iran-aligned Houthi group.
- The incident prompted a security alert in Mecca, the first since the Houthis last attempted to target the city in 2017. The alert was swiftly lifted after a few minutes, but it underscored the growing threat to the holy city and the broader region.
- Turki al-Maliki, the coalition spokesperson, condemned the Houthi actions, stating, 'We categorically deny that there is any threat from Yemen directed at the city of Mecca or any other holy sites.' The Houthis, however, denied targeting Mecca and claimed they do not target holy sites.
- The latest attacks mark a sharp resurgence in a conflict that dates back to 2015, when Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen after the Houthis seized Sanaa and ousted the internationally recognized government. A UN-brokered truce in April 2022 largely halted Houthi attacks on Saudi territory, but hostilities have escalated again since the group declared a blockade on Saudi shipping in July.
- The conflict also involves Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Iran-aligned groups across the region, with the Houthi group claiming to have shot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet in retaliation for more than 450 Saudi air strikes on their territory over the past week.
- The conflict forms part of Yemen's wider civil war and is also linked to the broader regional power struggle between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Mecca, home to Islam's holiest sites and the focal point of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, remains a critical target for both sides, highlighting the religious and political dimensions of the ongoing conflict.
What's still developing
- The Saudi-led coalition said it will respond “firmly” to Houthi strikes on urban areas that injured 13 people in the Saudi cities of Khamis Mushait, Abha and Taif on Tuesday.
- The same alert was activated for Taif and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia’s second-largest city.
- In a statement to Yemen’s SABA news agency on Tuesday, a Houthi military source strongly rejected the claim that Houthi forces pose a threat to the city of Mecca or other Islamic holy sites.
- The 57-nation Organisation of Islamic Cooperation said attacks on Mecca and Medina province, where Islam's second holiest shrine is located, constituted an "unacceptable and intolerable transgression".
- The Houthi claim was made in a statement and has not been independently verified.
- He warned that the coalition would take necessary deterrent measures against the Houthis following the incident.
- The Houthis, formally known as Ansar Allah, control large parts of northern and western Yemen, including Sana'a.