Saudi Arabia says Houthi drone targeted Mecca as regional tensions deepen
Saudi Arabia said it intercepted a drone before it entered Mecca’s airspace, while the Houthis denied responsibility and allies offered condemnation but no confirmed military support.
Saudi Arabia said it intercepted and destroyed a drone allegedly targeting Mecca, declaring Islam’s holiest city a “red line”. The Houthis denied launching an attack.
The claim, reported by France 24, has not been independently verified. Saudi authorities said the drone was destroyed before entering Mecca’s airspace, and the supplied material does not indicate that the city was struck.
The incident comes as Saudi Arabia faces intensified Houthi attacks on infrastructure and Red Sea shipping since early September. Regional tensions have also widened amid the US-Israeli war on Iran, disruption around the Strait of Hormuz and oil prices above $100 a barrel.
The alleged attack tested a new defence pact involving Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan. Officials from Turkey and Pakistan said they had received no Saudi request for support and that the pact was not yet operational. Pakistan expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia, while Turkey’s foreign minister said no country could remain indifferent.
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation condemned the alleged attack as a violation of the sanctity of holy sites. Saudi Arabia has reportedly sought interceptor supplies and air-defence teams from allies including France, Britain, Pakistan and Egypt, while Oman and Egypt have been involved in diplomatic efforts.
Saudi officials cited a previous Houthi ballistic-missile attack towards Mecca in 2017. The Houthis later claimed to have shot down a Saudi-led coalition F-15 over Marib, but the claim was made without evidence and was not independently verified.
