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Saudi Arabia says it intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca, as tensions escalate between the Houthis and Saudi-backed forces in Yemen.
Saudi Arabia says it intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of the Islamic holy city of Mecca on Tuesday evening, according to Turki al-Maliki, spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen.
Al-Maliki described the reported targeting of Mecca, home to Islam’s holiest site, as a “disgraceful act.” The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation also condemned what it described as attacks threatening Mecca and Medina, calling them an unacceptable transgression.
The Houthis, however, denied targeting Mecca. Military spokesman Yahya Sarea said their operations were aimed at Saudi oil facilities and military bases and were “far removed” from Islamic holy sites.
Sarea said the group had launched missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia in retaliation for more than 450 Saudi air strikes on Houthi-controlled territory over the previous week. He also claimed that a Saudi fighter jet had been shot down over Marib province, though there was no immediate response from the Saudi-led coalition.
Saudi authorities issued several security alerts for incoming projectiles in western areas, including Mecca and Jeddah. The US embassy in Saudi Arabia subsequently issued a “reconsider travel” advisory, warning that Houthi attacks had targeted cities, infrastructure, airports, military facilities, diplomatic sites and energy installations.
The escalation comes as the Houthis have reportedly expanded their control along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, including the strategic port city of Mokha and Perim Island near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, an important international shipping route.
Saudi Arabia is also facing disruption to its East-West Pipeline after it was damaged in a strike that Riyadh blamed on Iran-backed militias in Iraq.
The tensions have prompted renewed calls for international action. At an emergency UN Security Council meeting, Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s internationally recognised government urged stronger measures against the Houthis, while council members stressed the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.
The fighting has also worsened Yemen’s humanitarian crisis. The International Organization for Migration estimates that more than 90,000 people have been displaced by the latest fighting, while the World Health Organization said at least 500 people had been reported killed since the beginning of August.
The latest escalation adds to Yemen’s long-running conflict, which began in 2014 when the Houthis seized control of the capital, Sanaa. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 in an attempt to restore the government, contributing to years of fighting and a major humanitarian crisis.
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