Saudi forces say they shot down Houthi drone near Mecca, warn of red line
Saudi Arabia's air defenses intercepted a drone it said was launched by Yemen's Houthi movement near Mecca, prompting the coalition to warn of decisive action, while the Houthis denied targeting the holy city.
Saudi Arabia's air defence forces reported intercepting and destroying a drone they said was launched by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi militia before it entered the restricted airspace over Mecca, Islam's holiest city. The announcement was made by the Joint Forces Command of the Saudi-led coalition, which now operates mainly under Saudi and Saudi-backed Yemeni control.
"The security of Mecca and its pilgrims is a red line; we will take necessary and deterrent measures," coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said.
The coalition described the drone as hostile and linked it to the Houthi militia, which it labeled a terrorist organization. Saudi authorities had issued alerts the previous day about possible attacks in Mecca and the kingdom's southern region bordering Yemen.
The Houthi movement rejected the claim, with senior member Hazem al-Assad posting on X that the allegation was a repeated falsehood. Pakistan’s prime minister Shehbaz Sharif and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation also issued statements condemning the alleged attack on the holy site.
The incident follows a series of Houthi attacks on Saudi territory that have injured dozens of people and disrupted oil shipping through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has recently sought additional regional support, including from Egypt, to safeguard maritime navigation in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia issued a travel advisory warning of potential Iranian-linked drone and missile threats.