Saudi Arabia has said its air defence forces intercepted and destroyed a drone launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in the region surrounding Makkah, Islam’s holiest city.
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen announced the interception on Friday, October 30, through its spokesperson, Major General Turki al-Malki, who said the unmanned aerial vehicle was destroyed in the Makkah region.
The announcement came amid escalating attacks involving the Houthis and Saudi Arabia, with the Yemeni group accused of targeting military installations, airports and energy infrastructure across the kingdom.
However, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree denied that the group had launched any attack against Saudi Arabia on Friday.
In a statement posted on X, Saree described the coalition’s account as false, saying the group had not conducted any operation targeting Saudi territory that day.
He said the Houthis’ military operations were directed at Saudi oil facilities and military bases, rather than Makkah or other locations.
Makkah, home to the Grand Mosque and the Kaaba, is Islam’s holiest city and attracts millions of Muslims annually for Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages.
The city holds particular significance for Muslims worldwide, who face the Kaaba during their daily prayers.
The Houthis have repeatedly denied targeting Makkah and Madinah, Islam’s two holiest cities, following previous Saudi-led coalition accusations that they had launched drones towards the religious centres.
Friday’s reported interception followed other cross-border attacks involving drones and missiles. On Thursday, the Houthis claimed responsibility for attacks on several Saudi facilities, including oil refineries and airports, although the claims were not independently confirmed.
The Saudi-led coalition also said on Friday that it had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi cruise missile targeting western Saudi Arabia.
The latest development is a new tension between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, who have been involved in a conflict in Yemen since 2015, when a Saudi-led coalition intervened in support of the internationally recognised Yemeni government.