{
  "id": 7782882,
  "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",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-16T12:32:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch Nigeria",
    "slug": "punch-nigeria",
    "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, deny targeting Mecca, saying their operations target Saudi oil facilities and military bases, and not holy sites. They claim their actions are in retaliation for over 450 Saudi air strikes on their territory.\n\nThe Houthis also claim to have shot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet over Marib province using a locally made air-to-air missile, though Saudi Arabia has not confirmed this. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has condemned any attacks on Mecca and Medina as \"unacceptable and intolerable transgressions\".",
  "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",
        "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",
        "published": "2026-09-16T12:16:04.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}