- Spox declares security of holiest sites, safety of pilgrims “red line”.
- Alleged attempt comes amid sharp rise in Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.
- Latest incident adds highly sensitive dimension to widening Red Sea conflict.
Saudi Arabia’s air defences intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Makkah on Tuesday before it could enter prohibited airspace over the holy city, in what the Saudi-led coalition described as the second attempt by the Yemen-based group to target Makkah.
Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Malki said the security of Islam’s two holiest sites and the safety of pilgrims were a “red line”, warning that the coalition would take necessary deterrent measures against the Houthis.
Makkah is Islam’s holiest city and home to the Grand Mosque and the Kaaba, drawing millions of Muslims from around the world for the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
Al-Malki said the latest incident followed what the coalition described as a Houthi ballistic missile launch towards Makkah in July 2017, placing the latest drone interception in a broader pattern of alleged attempts to threaten the holy city.
The Houthis, however, denied that they posed any threat to Makkah or other holy sites, according to comments carried by the group’s SABA news agency.
The incident came as Saudi Arabia faced a new wave of Houthi missile and drone attacks, with security alerts issued across parts of the kingdom on Tuesday, including Makkah, Jeddah and Taif.
The alerts were later lifted. On Monday, Saudi authorities said Houthi attacks had wounded 13 civilians in three areas of the kingdom.
The latest escalation follows a renewed conflict between the Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces.
The Houthis have made rapid territorial gains along Yemen’s Red Sea coast and seized control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a strategic maritime gateway linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean.
The group’s growing presence around Bab el-Mandeb has added pressure on Saudi Arabia, whose oil shipments have increasingly relied on Red Sea routes after disruption to traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
The Houthis have also announced attacks on Saudi military and energy-related targets in recent days, describing them as retaliation for Saudi strikes in Yemen.
The renewed fighting has also raised wider concerns over maritime security and global energy supplies.
Reuters reported that shipping traffic through both Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb has fallen sharply amid the wider Middle East war, while Houthi advances have increased pressure on routes carrying Saudi oil.
The drone incident therefore marks a particularly sensitive escalation for Saudi Arabia, coming as Houthi forces expand their military reach from Yemen’s Red Sea coast and continue launching attacks deep inside the kingdom.
