{
  "id": 7780773,
  "title": "Saudi says Houthis target Mecca, warns of ‘red line’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/saudi-says-houthis-target-mecca-warns-of-red-line-7780773",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-16T12:16:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch",
    "slug": "punch",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/saudi-says-houthis-target-mecca-warns-of-red-line/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "The Saudi-led coalition has accused Yemen's Houthis of targeting Mecca with a drone, which was intercepted and destroyed south of the city. According to the coalition's spokesman, Turki al-Maliki, this act was a \"disgraceful act\".\n\nThe Houthis, an Iran-backed armed group, denied the claim, saying they had not targeted Mecca and accusing Saudi Arabia of \"fabrications and lies\". They stated that their operations target Saudi oil facilities and military bases, and are not directed at holy sites.\n\nThe Houthis also claimed to have shot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet over Marib province using a locally made air-to-air missile, and launched drones and missiles at Saudi Arabia in retaliation for over 450 Saudi air strikes on their territory.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 7,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Al-Monitor",
        "title": "Saudi says Houthis target Mecca, warns of 'red line'",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/saudi-says-houthis-target-mecca-warns-of-red-line",
        "published": "2026-09-16T03:30:29.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Daily Times",
        "title": "Pakistan’s trade deficit with Saudi Arabia falls 18.37%",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/pakistans-trade-deficit-with-saudi-arabia-falls-18-37",
        "published": "2026-09-16T06:18:47.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Ajel English",
        "title": "Saudi Arabia urges shared global responsibility to safeguard maritime routes",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/saudi-arabia-urges-shared-global-responsibility-to-safeguard-maritime",
        "published": "2026-09-16T07:27:39.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Egypt Independent",
        "title": "Saudi Arabia says it shot down a Huthi drone near Mecca, Islam’s holiest city",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/saudi-arabia-says-it-shot-down-a-huthi-drone-near-mecca-islams",
        "published": "2026-09-16T07:30:20.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Euronews",
        "title": "Yemen's Houthis claim they shot down Saudi fighter jet, deny targeting Mecca",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/yemens-houthis-claim-they-shot-down-saudi-fighter-jet-deny-targeting",
        "published": "2026-09-16T09:20:47.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Punch Nigeria",
        "title": "Saudi says Houthis target Mecca, warns of ‘red line’",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/saudi-says-houthis-target-mecca-warns-of-red-line-7782882",
        "published": "2026-09-16T12:32:04.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}