Saudi Arabia has warned Yemen’s Houthi group against attacks near the holy city of Mecca after its air defences intercepted and destroyed a drone south of the city on Tuesday.
The Saudi-led military coalition said the drone was brought down before it could enter prohibited airspace over Mecca. Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Malki said the security of Islam’s two holiest sites and pilgrims was a “red line”, warning that necessary deterrent measures would be taken against the Houthis.
Mecca is Islam’s holiest city and home to sites visited by millions of Muslims during the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
Al-Malki described the incident as the second alleged Houthi attempt to target Mecca, following what the coalition said was a ballistic missile launch towards the city in July 2017.
The Houthis, however, rejected the Saudi claim. Houthi spokesperson Hazem al-Assad said on social media that allegations of targeting Mecca were a repeated claim that “no longer fools anyone”.
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) condemned what it described as an attack targeting Islam’s holy city and blamed the Houthis. The 57-member grouping also denounced what it called continued aggression against Saudi Arabia.
Saudi authorities issued security alerts across several parts of the kingdom on Tuesday, including Mecca, amid a series of attacks by Iran-aligned fighters that have increased tensions in the region.
The US Embassy subsequently advised Americans to reconsider travel to Saudi Arabia, citing risks including drone and missile attacks, armed conflict and terrorism. It also warned against travel to areas near the Yemen border.
The latest incident comes as the Houthis have expanded their operations around the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a key global shipping route.
The group has claimed several attacks against Saudi targets in recent days, including a strike on an airbase on Monday, which it said was retaliation for Saudi-led airstrikes in Yemen.
