The Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s legitimate government said Tuesday that Saudi air defenses intercepted and destroyed a drone launched by the Houthi group before it could enter the restricted airspace of the holy city of Mecca.
Coalition spokesman Major General Turki Al-Malki said the Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces intercepted and destroyed the drone at 6:50 p.m., adding that the interception took place south of Mecca.
Al-Malki said the incident marked the second attempt to target Mecca, following an earlier attempt involving the launch of a ballistic missile in 2017.
He described the latest attempt as a “disgraceful act” targeting the birthplace of revelation and the land of the Prophet’s message, as well as an attempt to terrorize pilgrims and harm citizens and residents.
Al-Malki said the attempt would remain a “black mark” in the Houthis’ record of violations, describing it as a deliberate act intended to provoke the feelings of millions of Muslims.
He stressed that the security of the Two Holy Mosques and the pilgrims is a “red line,” reaffirming that the coalition’s Joint Forces Command would not hesitate to take the necessary deterrent measures against the Houthis and their hostile actions.
Saudi Warning Over Maritime Security
The escalation came as Saudi Arabia told the UN Security Council that the international community must take a firm stance against what it described as the “militarization of straits,” warning that threats to navigation in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait could negatively affect the global economy.
Saudi Arabia said the Houthis were threatening the safety of navigation through Bab el-Mandeb, while a Yemeni security source said the Iran-backed group had deployed mines in the strait and was digging trenches in mountains overlooking the waterway.
Saudi Ambassador to the United Nations Abdulaziz Al-Wasil said Riyadh reserved the right to take whatever measures were necessary to protect its security. He also reaffirmed the kingdom’s support for Yemen’s unity, sovereignty and independence and the protection of its territory.
Al-Wasil also said the Houthis were rejecting any settlement that could ease Yemen’s dire situation, noting that Saudi Arabia had consistently sought to create conditions conducive to peace in the country.
The developments come amid repeated Houthi attacks targeting Saudi cities, the latest being the reported attempt to target Mecca. Political researchers cited by Al Mamlaka described the escalation as reflecting the group’s use of attacks to advance political agendas, even at the expense of Islamic holy sites.
