Riyadh: Saudi Arabia’s Air Defence Forces intercepted and destroyed a Houthi-launched drone south of Makkah before it entered the prohibited airspace over the holy city, the Saudi-led coalition said on Wednesday, September 16.
Coalition spokesperson Major General Turki Al-Maliki said the drone was intercepted at 6:50pm on Tuesday, September 15. He said it had been launched by Yemen’s Houthi militia and was destroyed south of Makkah.
Al-Maliki said the incident marked the second attempt to target Makkah, referring to a July 27, 2017 incident involving a ballistic missile.
He said the latest attempt represented a deliberate threat to the security of Makkah and its visitors, adding that the security of the Two Holy Mosques and their visitors was a “red line”.
Al-Maliki said the Joint Forces Command of the Coalition would take necessary and deterrent measures against the Houthis in response to their hostile actions.
On Tuesday, September 15, Saudi Arabia’s National Early Warning Platform issued a potential danger alert for Makkah City. The alert was later lifted after the threat had passed, while Civil Defence urged residents to continue following official safety instructions.
Recent Houthi attacks
The interception came amid a wider escalation in attacks between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthis.
On Monday, September 14, the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen said Houthi forces had targeted civilian objects in Khamis Mushait, Abha and Taif using ballistic missiles and drones. Al-Maliki said 13 civilians suffered minor to moderate injuries, while seven residential homes and two vehicles were damaged.
Saudi Arabia vowed to respond firmly to the attacks, with Al-Maliki saying the Joint Forces Command would take operational measures to deter further attacks and protect the Kingdom’s sovereignty, civilians and civilian objects.
The latest escalation follows renewed fighting in Yemen that intensified in July after about four years of relative calm following the 2022 UN-brokered truce.
