Saudi Arabia says debris from intercepted missiles fell in Mecca region
The Houthis have repeatedly denied targeting Mecca and Medina, Islam’s two holiest cities, saying their targets are military and strategic sites elsewhere.
Saudi Arabia reported on Wednesday that debris from two ballistic missiles, intercepted by its air defenses, fell in the Mecca region. The Yemen-aligned Houthi movement, which has been engaged in a conflict with Saudi Arabia, launched the missiles towards the region. The civil defense in Saudi Arabia confirmed that the debris landed in various locations, including Sabuhah village.
The Houthi group has consistently denied Saudi allegations that they target the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, stating that their military operations are aimed at military and strategic targets elsewhere within Saudi Arabia. They have not yet addressed the most recent incident. According to Saudi Arabia's civil defense, this targeting of civilian objects is a blatant violation of international humanitarian law, reflecting the Houthi militia's dangerous hostile approach.
Saudi Arabia initially intervened militarily in Yemen in 2015 after the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa. A UN-brokered truce in 2022 largely halted the conflict, but it resumed earlier this year. Houthi forces have been launching missile and drone attacks on Saudi territory, while Riyadh has retaliated with airstrikes in Yemen. The latest escalation has raised concerns about the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical shipping route connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
