Saudi air defences intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Makkah on Tuesday evening, preventing it from entering the city’s restricted airspace, the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen said.
Coalition spokesman Major General Turki Al-Maliki said Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces brought down the drone at 6:50 p.m. on September 15. He described the incident as the second Houthi attempt to target Makkah, pointing to an earlier ballistic missile launch on July 27, 2017.
Al-Maliki said the attack deliberately targeted a city of profound religious significance to Muslims worldwide and was intended to endanger pilgrims, citizens and residents. The security of the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims, he said, is “a red line,” and the coalition would not hesitate to take further measures to deter attacks.
The interception came after a separate wave of Houthi strikes on Monday, in which ballistic missiles and drones hit civilian areas in Khamis Mushait, Abha and Taif. The coalition said 13 civilians sustained minor to moderate injuries, while seven residential homes and two vehicles were damaged across the three cities.
Al-Maliki said the pattern of attacks reflected an escalating Houthi posture and a deliberate targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure. The coalition said it would respond firmly in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter, the principle of self-defence and international humanitarian law, and would take all necessary operational measures to counter further strikes.
