Bahrain voices full support for Saudi Arabia, urges UN action on Houthi attacks

Saudi Arabia's air defenses successfully intercepted and disabled a Houthi drone south of Mecca on Tuesday, before the unmanned aerial vehicle entered restricted airspace over the revered city, according to a spokesman for the Saudi-led military coalition combating Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels. Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Malki emphasized on Wednesday that safeguarding Islam's two holiest sites and pilgrims is a "red line" for the coalition, vowing to implement necessary deterrent actions against the Houthis.

Mecca, the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad and home to the two most sacred sites in Islam, is the world's holiest city for Muslims and the focal point of the annual hajj pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of the faith, undertaken by millions each year. This marked the second Houthi attempt to target Mecca, following a ballistic missile launch by the group in July 2017.

In response to a week of attacks by Iran-aligned fighters, Saudi Arabia issued security alerts across multiple regions, including Mecca and other cities, deepening the kingdom's involvement in the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict. A Houthi military source dismissed the possibility of any threat to Mecca or other holy sites, as reported by the Houthi-run SABA news agency on Tuesday.