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Saudi civil defence issues 'potential danger' warning for Mecca, Jeddah

Saudi civil defence issues 'potential danger' warning for Mecca, Jeddah Saudi Arabia's civil defence agency broadcast warnings of "potential danger" for four of its western provinces, including that of Mecca, home to Islam's holiest city, on Friday, without saying why. The alerts, which also covered the major Red Sea city of Jeddah, nearby Taif and the coastal oil hub of Yanbu, were all rescinded…

On October 24, Saudi Arabia's civil defence agency issued warnings of potential danger for four provinces, including Mecca, Jeddah, Taif, and Yanbu, on the Red Sea coast. The agency did not provide a reason for the alerts, which instructed residents to "proceed to the nearest safe place." Minutes later, the agency rescinded the warnings.

The Gulf kingdom has faced repeated attacks from Iran-backed Houthis in recent weeks as part of Yemen's civil war. The Houthis, who are fighting the Saudi-backed government, have targeted the kingdom's oil infrastructure and airports. In July, a Houthi attack on Riyadh airport killed 13 people and wounded dozens more. Saudi Arabia leads a military coalition that intervened in the conflict in 2015, aiming to restore the internationally recognized government in Yemen.

The war had been dormant since a ceasefire in 2022 but reignited in July, as tensions in the Middle East escalated.

Written by urgent.news from Malay Mail's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.

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