Saudi air defences intercepted and destroyed a drone south of Mecca on Tuesday evening before it entered restricted airspace over the holy city, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said.
Coalition spokesperson Major General Turki al-Maliki said the drone was intercepted at 6:50 pm local time, describing the incident as the second attempt by Yemen’s Houthi group to target Mecca. No casualties or damage were immediately reported.
The Houthis denied launching the drone towards Mecca, with a member of the group’s political bureau calling the Saudi allegation “an outright lie” and accusing Riyadh of attempting to mobilise Muslims against Yemen.
Al-Maliki said the security of Mecca, the Two Holy Mosques and their visitors was a “red line”, adding that coalition forces would not hesitate to take what he described as necessary and deterrent measures against further attacks.
He accused the Houthis of attempting to endanger pilgrims, citizens and residents and deliberately provoke the sentiments of Muslims around the world.
“This act can only be described as shameful. An attempt was made to target the centre of revelation, a place that draws the hearts of millions of Muslims around the world,” he said.
The coalition said Tuesday’s incident was the second Houthi attempt to target Mecca, citing a ballistic missile launched towards the city on July 27, 2017.
The latest incident followed missile and drone attacks on Khamis Mushait, Abha and Taif on Monday that injured 13 civilians and damaged seven homes and two vehicles, according to the coalition.
The Houthis have claimed responsibility for several recent attacks on Saudi territory, saying some were carried out in response to Saudi airstrikes in Yemen.
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