The statement came after Saudi Arabia said its air defence forces intercepted and destroyed a drone south of Mecca on Tuesday evening, September 15, before it could enter the restricted airspace over the holy city.
Saudi-led coalition spokesman Major General Turki Al-Maliki said the drone was intercepted at about 6:50 p.m. local time, south of Mecca.
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According to the Saudi authorities, the drone was launched by the Houthi movement in Yemen and was heading towards the restricted airspace over Mecca.
The Saudi statement said the drone was destroyed before it entered the prohibited area, with debris falling south of the city.
Saudi authorities did not report casualties from the interception.
Al-Maliki described the incident as the second alleged Houthi attempt to target Mecca, referring to a previous ballistic missile incident in July 2017 that Saudi authorities also attributed to the group.
He warned that the security of Mecca, the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims would be treated as a red line, and said the coalition would take necessary measures to deter further attacks.
The Houthis, however, have rejected the Saudi account.
Hazem Al-Asad, a member of the Houthi political leadership, dismissed the allegation in a statement, saying claims that the group had targeted Mecca were a repeated falsehood.
The denial means that the two sides are presenting directly conflicting accounts of the incident.
Saudi Arabia says a Houthi-launched drone was intercepted near the holy city, while the Houthi movement denies responsibility for launching a drone towards Mecca.
The claims could not be independently reconciled from the information immediately available.
The incident comes as tensions between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis have increased sharply in recent days.
The Houthis, who control large parts of northern Yemen including the capital, Sana’
a, have carried out a series of attacks against Saudi targets, according to Saudi and coalition officials.
The latest escalation follows years of relative calm after a truce significantly reduced fighting between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition.
Saudi authorities have recently reported drone and missile attacks in several parts of the kingdom.
The coalition said on Monday that Houthi attacks had injured 13 civilians in the Saudi cities of Khamis Mushait, Abha and Taif, with several homes and vehicles also damaged.The Houthis have also claimed attacks against Saudi military targets.The renewed confrontation is taking place against the wider backdrop of escalating conflict across the Middle East, with regional powers facing attacks involving drones and missiles and growing concerns over the security of critical infrastructure and major transport routes.Mecca carries particular significance because it is Islam’s holiest city and is home to the Grand Mosque and the Kaaba.Millions of Muslims from around the world travel to Saudi Arabia each year to perform Hajj and Umrah, making the security of the city a highly sensitive issue for Saudi Arabia and the wider Muslim world.Saudi officials have therefore treated the alleged incident as a serious security threat, even though the drone was intercepted before entering the restricted airspace.The coalition has warned that further attacks could lead to additional military measures against the Houthis.The Houthis, meanwhile, have rejected the accusation and have not acknowledged responsibility for the drone intercepted south of Mecca.The latest incident also highlights the difficulty of independently verifying claims during periods of active conflict, where information from opposing sides can differ significantly and evidence from the scene may not immediately be available.For now, what is established is that Saudi air defences intercepted and destroyed a drone south of Mecca on Tuesday evening, according to Saudi and coalition authorities.Saudi Arabia attributes the drone to the Houthi movement and says it was heading towards the restricted airspace of the holy city.The Houthis deny launching the drone towards Mecca.There have been no confirmed reports of casualties from the interception.As regional tensions continue to rise, attention is now focused on whether the incident will lead to further military action between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, and whether the two sides can prevent the conflict from spreading closer to Mecca and other major population centres.For the moment, the Saudi government says the security of the holy city remains a priority, while the Houthi movement continues to reject responsibility for what Saudi Arabia has described as a serious threat near Mecca.
