Saudi Arabia says debris from intercepted missiles falls in Makkah region
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia said debris from two ballistic missiles intercepted by its air defences fell in the Makkah region on Wednesday, as the kingdom and Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement exchanged attacks amid an escalating conflict.
Saudi Arabia reported on Wednesday that debris from two intercepted ballistic missiles fell within the Makkah region. The Houthi movement, based in Yemen and aligned with Iran, launched the missiles towards the area. The kingdom's air defenses intercepted and destroyed the missiles, with debris landing in multiple locations, including Sabuhah village.
The Saudi civil defense warned that this targeting of civilian objects is a clear violation of international humanitarian law, highlighting the dangerous stance taken by the Houthis. The Houthis have continually denied allegations that they are aiming at Makkah and Medina, two of Islam's holiest cities, stating their operations target military and strategic sites in Saudi Arabia.
They have not yet commented on the most recent incident. Saudi Arabia's civil defense emphasized this incident early on Thursday. In 2014, the Houthis captured Yemen's capital, Sanaa, leading to Saudi military intervention in Yemen the following year to support the internationally recognized government. A UN-brokered truce in 2022 largely halted the conflict, but hostilities resumed earlier this year, with the Houthis launching missile and drone attacks on Saudi territory, and Riyadh retaliating with airstrikes in Yemen.
The latest confrontation poses a threat to the strategically significant Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital shipping route connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
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