Saudi coalition says Houthi drone destroyed near Mecca

Saudi Arabia's air defences destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca before it entered prohibited airspace over the holy city, according to a spokesperson for the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen. The drone was intercepted on Tuesday evening.

The incident follows a week of attacks from Iran-aligned Houthi fighters that have drawn Saudi Arabia deeper into the war, according to Investing.com. The Houthis have seized control of parts of Yemen's Red Sea coast, overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb, one of the world's most important shipping straits.

The Houthi rebels have denied targeting Mecca. In response to the incident, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation condemned the "heinous" attack on Islam's holy city, as stated by New Straits Times. Saudi Arabia issued security alerts for Mecca, Jeddah, and Taif on Tuesday, which were swiftly lifted after authorities said the danger had passed.

Brief written by urgent.news from Al-Monitor, Investing.com, France 24, The Vibes, New Straits Times — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.