Saudi-led coalition says Houthi drone destroyed near Makkah

The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen reported that a Houthi drone was destroyed near Makkah on Tuesday, just before it entered prohibited airspace over the holy city. The coalition spokesman, Maj Gen Turki Al Malki, described this as the second Houthi attempt to target Makkah, following a ballistic missile launch in July 2017. While footage showed a bright projectile lighting up the night sky near a mosque and a loud explosion, the location could not be independently verified as Makkah.

The Houthis denied targeting the city, with a member of the Houthi political bureau accusing Saudi Arabia of using the allegation to mobilize Muslims against Yemen and divert attention from the conflict. The incident comes amid a rise in Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, following their advances along Yemen's western coastline and seizure of strategic territory.

Saudi Arabia has faced attacks on critical energy infrastructure, including the shutdown of its 1,200-km East-West oil pipeline due to drone attacks from Iraq.

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