Saudi Arabia reports interception of Houthi drone targeting Mecca

The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen has reported that it intercepted a drone launched by the Houthis towards Saudi Arabia’s Mecca region.

The drone was “intercepted and destroyed” on Friday morning, coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki said in a social media post. It was also reported that a missile aimed at western Saudi Arabia was earlier brought down, as hostilities between the Riyadh-backed Yemen government and Iran-backed Houthis continue to escalate.

A Houthi spokesperson denied targeting the Muslim holy city or surrounding region, reiterating that the group’s cross-border attacks remain strictly focused on Saudi energy and military infrastructure.

The Saudi-led coalition has previously accused the Houthis of launching drones towards Islam’s two holiest cities: Mecca and Medina.

“Our operations target [Saudi] oil facilities and military bases, and there is no longer anyone in this world who believes these fabrications and lies propagated by the criminal Al Saud regime,” the Houthi spokesman wrote.

Read more: Al Jazeera