Turki al-Malki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen, announced on Wednesday, September 16, that Saudi air defenses had intercepted and destroyed a drone south of Mecca.
According to al-Malki, the drone was intercepted at around 6:50 p.m. local time on Tuesday, September 15, and destroyed before entering Mecca’s restricted airspace. He claimed that the drone had been launched by Yemen’s Houthis.
Al-Malki described the security of Mecca, the two holy sites, and pilgrims as a “red line,” saying that the coalition would take necessary measures to confront what he called hostile actions by the Houthis.
Meanwhile, the Houthis rejected the accusation, saying that the claim that they had targeted Mecca was false. Therefore, the claim regarding the drone’s origin and intended target was made by Saudi Arabia and has not yet been independently verified.
Reuters reported that Saudi Arabia considers the incident the second alleged attempt by the Houthis to target Mecca. The first alleged incident involved the launch of a ballistic missile in 2017.
Source: Reuters, Associated Press
#SaudiArabia #Mecca #Houthis #Yemen #Drone #AirDefense #MiddleEast
