Interception over Mecca: did the Houthis really try to attack Islam's main shrine? - VIDEO

Saudi Arabia's air defense system shot down a Houthi drone south of the holy city of Mecca.

This was reported by The Guardian, citing Turki al-Malki, a spokesman for the military coalition fighting the group in Yemen.

According to the coalition spokesman, the security of the two holy sites of Islam and of pilgrims was a "red line." The coalition will take the necessary deterrent measures against the Houthis, he emphasized. Malki considered the incident the second attempt by the Houthis to strike Mecca after "what the coalition said was a ballistic missile launch in July 2017." Houthi spokesman Hazem al-Asad called the claims that Mecca was the target a worn-out lie "that has been used before and no longer misleads anyone."

Mecca, home to shrines revered by Muslims around the world, is the holiest city of Islam and the center of the annual hajj pilgrimage.

https://t.co/jQD6xfENSH — Newsfeed (@Newsfeed883920) September 16, 2026