Saudi Arabia’s air defences destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca before it could enter restricted airspace over the holy city, a spokesperson for the Saudi led military coalition in Yemen said on Wednesday.
The drone was intercepted on Tuesday evening, according to coalition spokesperson Turki al Malki. He said it was the second reported Houthi attempt to target Mecca, following a ballistic missile launch in July 2017.
Mecca, home to Islam’s holiest sites and the centre of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, is a major security priority for Saudi Arabia. Houthi political bureau member Mohammed al Farah denied that the group had targeted the city, calling the allegation false in comments carried by the Houthi run SABA news agency.
The incident follows a week of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia that have drawn Riyadh further into the wider regional conflict. The Houthis said a Monday attack on a Saudi air base was retaliation for Saudi airstrikes on Yemen. Saudi coalition officials said 13 civilians were wounded.
Saudi Arabia has also blamed an Iran aligned group based in Iraq for a separate Friday attack that disrupted the East West Pipeline, a 1,200 km route connecting the kingdom’s oil producing areas to the Red Sea.
The pipeline has become an important alternative export route as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been severely disrupted by the conflict. Traders have warned that a prolonged shutdown could remove as much as 4% of global oil supplies. Saudi Arabia has not announced when the pipeline will fully resume, although US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said crude could begin flowing again within days.
The Houthis have recently seized parts of Yemen’s Red Sea coast overlooking the Bab el Mandeb, another major international shipping route. Saudi Arabia has fought the group since 2015, with the conflict largely subdued under a ceasefire in recent years before renewed fighting this month.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke with US President Donald Trump last week to request military assistance. US support so far has reportedly been limited to intelligence cooperation.
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