A new front of tension is emerging between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, with Riyadh announcing that it intercepted an unmanned aircraft heading toward Mecca’s restricted airspace. Ansar Allah categorically denied that it had attempted to strike the holy city, calling the accusation a “lie,” while the Organization of Islamic Cooperation sided with Saudi Arabia.
The spokesperson for the Saudi-led military coalition, which intervened in the Yemen war in 2015, Turki al-Maliki, stated that Saudi air defenses intercepted and destroyed a drone on Tuesday that, according to Riyadh, had been launched by the Houthis.
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The Houthis attacked airports in Saudi Arabia
BREAKING: First time in history.
Mecca, the holiest site for nearly 2 billion Muslims, just received its first-ever live emergency missile & drone warning.
The same alert was issued for Jeddah, Taif, Yanbu, Abha, Jazan, and AlUla.
AdvertisementThis follows days of Houthi missile and drone attacks on…
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(@MeghUpdates) September 15, 2026
As he stated, the unmanned aircraft was destroyed south of Mecca before it entered the no-fly zone over Islam’s holiest city. Al-Maliki emphasized that the security of Mecca is a “red line” for Saudi Arabia.
The accusation comes amid heightened tensions, with Riyadh attributing a series of missile and drone attacks against Saudi targets in recent days to the Houthis.
Houthis: “A Trite Lie”
Ansar Allah, more widely known as the Houthis, rejected the accusation that it targeted Mecca.
“The accusations regarding the alleged targeting of Mecca are a tired lie that has been used before and no longer fools anyone,” said Hazm al-Assad, a member of the movement’s political bureau, via X.
The Houthis have claimed responsibility for other recent attacks on Saudi territory but deny that they attempted to strike Mecca or other religious sites.
Condemnation by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has condemned the attacks that Saudi Arabia attributes to the Houthis against Mecca and the Medina region.
In a statement, it referred to “heinous attacks” and expressed its support for Saudi Arabia, noting that such actions “desecrate the sanctity of the two holy sites and Islamic mosques and offend the sensibilities of Muslims around the world.”
Source: Protothema.gr
