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 intercepted ballistic missiles fell within the Mecca region. The Yemeni Houthi movement, aligned with Iran, fired the missiles towards the area, which were then intercepted and destroyed by Saudi air defenses. The missiles struck multiple locations, including Sabuhah village, according to a statement released by the Saudi civil defence.
The Houthis have consistently denied alleging that they specifically target Mecca and Medina, two of Islam's holiest cities. They maintain that their military actions are aimed at military and strategic targets across Saudi Arabia. To date, no comment has been made by the Houthi militia regarding this latest incident.
Saudi Arabia's civil defence declared that such hostile targeting of civilian objects is a blatant violation of international humanitarian law, highlighting the dangerous hostile stance adopted by the Houthi militia. The civil defence issued this warning early on Thursday.
The Houthi militia took control of Yemen's capital, Sanaa, in 2014, leading to Saudi Arabia's military intervention the following year in support of the internationally recognized government. A UN-brokered truce in 2022 effectively halted the conflict; however, fighting has reignited this year. The Houthis have launched missile and drone strikes against Saudi territory, while Riyadh has retaliated with airstrikes in Yemen.
This latest escalation threatens the strategically significant Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a crucial shipping route connecting the Red Sea and 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.
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