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Saudi Coalition Says It Intercepted Drones Aimed at Mecca as Houthis Deny Targeting City
By Maya Wilson
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Saudi air defences intercepted missiles and drones launched towards Riyadh, Mecca and other parts of the kingdom on Wednesday, according to the Saudi-led coalition, as Yemen’s Houthi movement denied targeting Islam’s holiest city.
The coalition said it had intercepted and destroyed three cruise missiles headed towards the Riyadh region, two drones aimed at Mecca and southern areas, and two missiles directed towards western Saudi Arabia, Reuters reported from Dubai in a report carried by Al-Monitor.
There were no reports of casualties or damage from Wednesday’s interceptions, according to the Reuters account.
Saudi civil defence issued alerts warning of potential danger in Taif, Yanbu and Khamis Mushait later on Wednesday, before state television announced that the danger had passed.
The interceptions marked the second consecutive day of reported attacks towards Riyadh. On Tuesday, the coalition said it had brought down a ballistic missile and a cruise missile aimed at the capital.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree denied that the group had launched a drone targeting Mecca. He said the movement’s operations were directed at oil facilities and military bases, Reuters reported.
Saree also claimed the Houthis had attacked a pumping station in Yanbu, a key Saudi oil hub. The facility allows Saudi exports to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, which the report described as blocked. Reuters reported no Saudi confirmation of the alleged attack on the pumping station.
The competing accounts of the interceptions and the claimed attack were not independently verified in the reporting.
Mecca is Islam’s holiest city and the focal point of the annual hajj pilgrimage. The reported targeting claim and the Houthi denial came amid an escalation in cross-border attacks between Saudi Arabia and the group.
The Houthis have said their intensified attacks on the Saudi capital are a response to Saudi strikes in Yemen. Reuters reported that renewed fighting has intensified since September, when the Houthis advanced towards the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The latest exchange follows other reported attacks on Saudi targets. A Houthi strike on Sunday damaged an Aramco administrative building in Riyadh’s financial district, according to Reuters. The agency also reported that an attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport last month killed 13 people and wounded more than 300.
The coalition’s account of Wednesday’s interceptions and Saree’s denial leave the specific circumstances of the reported threat to Mecca disputed.
Maya Wilson — World Desk Lead, The Library Media
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