Saudi Arabia intercepts Houthi drone aimed at Mecca

Saudi Arabia announced that it shot down a drone from the Houthi rebel group that was heading towards Mecca on Tuesday. The Houthis denied they were targeting Mecca.

The country stated that they intercepted and destroyed the drone, stopping a situation that could have endangered the holy city.

Turki al-Maliki, the spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition, said the Royal Saudi Air Defence Forces intercepted the drone before it could enter restricted airspace.

The Saudi-led coalition is a military group formed in 2015, led by Saudi Arabia, to fight the Houthi movement in Yemen.

Al Jazeera reported that Saudi Arabia raised a security alert in Mecca on Tuesday. This alert was to warn worshippers about possible danger.

This is the first security alert issued in Mecca in almost ten years. The last one was in 2017 when Saudi authorities reported intercepting a ballistic missile from the Houthi movement targeting the holy city.

Mecca is the holiest site in Islam. It is home to the Kaaba, which attracts two billion Muslims each year. Worshippers come from around the world, including Nigeria and other African nations, to face the Kaaba and pray.

Mr Al-Maliki said the incident was an attempt to scare worshippers and harm civilians.

He stated that the two holy mosques and pilgrims are a "red line."

But the Houthis denied any intention to target Mecca. They called the Saudi claim misinformation.

Yemen's SABA news agency mentioned that the rebel group rejected the idea that they threatened Mecca or any other Islamic holy sites.

The group insisted that they do not target holy cities. "We categorically deny that there is any threat from Yemen directed at the city of Mecca or any other holy sites," they said.

Tensions between Riyadh and the Houthis increased in July after the rebels announced a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia. They also took control of important areas along the Bab al-Mandeb coastline. The Houthis demand that Saudi Arabia lift its blockade on regions they control in Yemen.

The attack on Saudi Arabia's national oil company, Saudi Aramco, which caused damage to key facilities, made the global oil crisis worse. This crisis has been ongoing since the US-Iran conflict began in February.