Key facts
- Saudi-led coalition destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca on Tuesday.
- The drone was intercepted before entering prohibited airspace over Mecca.
- Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Malki called the security of holy sites and pilgrims a "red line."
- This is reportedly the second Houthi attempt to target Mecca, following a 2017 missile launch.
- A Houthi military source denied posing a threat to Mecca or holy sites.
Saudi Arabia's air defenses intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca on Tuesday before it entered prohibited airspace over the holy city, according to a spokesman for the Saudi-led military coalition fighting Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis.
Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Malki stated early on Wednesday that the security of Islam's two holiest sites and of pilgrims was a "red line," adding that the coalition would take necessary deterrent measures against the Houthis. Mecca is Islam's holiest city and the focal point of the annual hajj pilgrimage.
Malki described the incident as the second Houthi attempt to target Mecca, following what the coalition said was a ballistic missile launch in July 2017. Saudi Arabia had issued security alerts across parts of the country on Tuesday, including in Mecca and other cities, following a week of attacks by Iran-aligned fighters.
A Houthi military source denied the group posed any threat to Mecca or other holy sites, in comments carried by the Houthi-run SABA news agency on Tuesday. The Houthis have seized control of parts of Yemen's Red Sea coast overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb, one of the world's most important shipping straits, threatening Saudi oil exports rerouted from the Strait of Hormuz. The group has announced several major attacks on Saudi Arabia over the past week, including strikes on an air base on Monday that it said were retaliation for air strikes on Yemen.