Saudi Arabia Downs Houthi Drone Near Mecca, Warning Holy Sites Are a Red Line
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Sep 16
Saudi Arabia Downs Houthi Drone Near Mecca, Warning Holy Sites Are a Red Line
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Sep 16
Summary
Saudi air defenses destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca on Tuesday before it entered prohibited airspace over Islam’s holiest city, the Saudi-led coalition said.
Turki al-Malki called the security of Mecca, Medina and pilgrims a “red line” and said the coalition would take deterrent measures after what he described as the second Houthi attempt to target Mecca since 2017.
Houthi spokesperson Hazem al-Assad denied the accusation, calling claims of targeting Mecca a recycled lie, while the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation condemned what it called a heinous attack.
The interception came after Saudi security alerts across Mecca and other cities and amid a week of Houthi attacks, including a claimed strike on an airbase, that have pulled the kingdom deeper into the regional war.