Saudi Arabia says it shot down Houthi drone near Mecca, Houthis deny claim

Riyadh says the drone was intercepted south of Mecca before entering restricted airspace, while the Houthis deny targeting the holy city as fighting with Saudi-backed forces intensifies

Saudi Arabia said its air defences intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca on Tuesday, before it could enter the restricted airspace over Islam's holiest city. The Iran-aligned Yemeni group denied targeting Mecca or any religious site during the ongoing conflict.

 

Saudi-led coalition spokesman Maj Gen Turki al-Malki said the drone was intercepted at about 6:50 pm local time on September 15, Reuters reported. He described the security of Mecca and the two holy mosques as a “red line” and warned of measures to deter further attacks.

 

The Iran-backed militant group rejected the claim. Houthi spokesperson Hazem al-Assad wrote on X: “The claims about targeting Mecca are a worn-out lie that has been used before and no longer fools anyone.”

 

 

The Saudi claim comes amid a sharp deterioration in relations with the Houthis after years of relative calm. It said the latest incident was the second Houthi attempt to target Mecca, following a ballistic missile launch in 2017 that Riyadh said was aimed at the holy city.

 

Mecca, home to Islam’s holiest shrines, is the focal point of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam that draws millions of Muslims each year.

 

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation condemned what it described as a “heinous” attack on Islam’s holy city, blaming the Houthis. The 57-member organisation also denounced what it called the “ongoing aggression against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia”.

 

What is happening between Saudi Arabia and Houthis?

 

The latest confrontation marks a return to direct Saudi-Houthi hostilities after a period of relative calm.

 

The Yemen war began in 2014, when the Houthis seized Sanaa and expanded their control across large parts of the country. Saudi Arabia intervened militarily in 2015 at the head of a coalition supporting Yemen's internationally recognised government.

 

A UN-brokered truce agreed in April 2022 sharply reduced fighting, although it did not produce a permanent peace settlement. The UN has continued to describe Yemen's conflict as unresolved.

 

That fragile calm began breaking down in July 2026. The Houthis launched missiles towards Saudi Arabia after Saudi-backed Yemeni forces and Saudi Arabia carried out strikes linked to a dispute over an Iranian flight to Sanaa. The exchange marked the first major Saudi-Houthi military confrontation in years.

 

Since then, Houthi attacks have expanded beyond Saudi military targets. Recent strikes have hit Saudi cities and energy infrastructure, with Saudi authorities saying more than 70 people were injured and some energy facilities disrupted.

 

Saudi and Yemeni government forces have responded with airstrikes against Houthi positions. The renewed fighting has also coincided with Houthi territorial gains along Yemen's Red Sea coast, bringing the group closer to the strategically important Bab el-Mandeb Strait.