For the first time, an aerial threat warning was issued in Mecca after Saudi Arabia said it had intercepted a Houthi drone near the holy city. The alert briefly covered parts of Mecca as well as the Jeddah and Taif areas, as tensions between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi group continued to rise.
Saudi authorities said their air defence systems detected and destroyed a drone south of Mecca before it could enter the city’s restricted airspace. A warning was then issued through the National Early Warning Platform, asking people in the affected areas to follow safety instructions.
The incident is particularly sensitive because Mecca is home to the Grand Mosque and the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest site. Millions of Muslims visit the city every year for Hajj and Umrah.
Houthis deny targeting Mecca
The Houthi group rejected Saudi Arabia’s account and denied that it had targeted Mecca. Houthi officials called the claim false and said their military operations were directed at Saudi military and other targets.
The group also made another major claim. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said that its forces had shot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet over Yemen’s Marib province using a locally made missile. The claim had not been independently verified, and Saudi authorities had not confirmed it in the reports available at the time.
The latest incident is part of a wider rise in fighting involving the Houthis and Saudi-backed forces in Yemen. The Houthis have also threatened shipping in the Red Sea and carried out missile and drone attacks against Saudi Arabia.
Saudi officials have strongly condemned attacks that could threaten the security of Mecca and other holy sites. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has also said that the safety of the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims is a major concern.
The Mecca alert was later lifted after the immediate threat had passed. However, the incident has drawn attention to how the renewed fighting in Yemen is now creating security concerns far beyond the battlefield.
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