Saudi Intercepts Houthi Drone Targeting Mecca, Issues Rare Security Alert In Holy City
Saudi Arabia has intercepted and destroyed a hostile drone launched towards the holy city of Mecca, in a major escalation that triggered a rare security alert in Islam’s holiest city.
According to Al Jazeera, the Saudi-led coalition spokesperson, Turki al-Maliki, confirmed that Royal Saudi Air Defence Forces intercepted the drone on Tuesday evening before it could enter the restricted airspace over Mecca.
Al-Maliki, as reported by Al Jazeera, condemned the attempt as a plot to frighten worshippers and harm civilians, warning that the security of the two holy mosques and pilgrims remains a “red line” for the Kingdom.
The Saudi authorities issued a security alert in Mecca for the first time since 2017 when the Houthis last attempted to target the sacred area. The alert was lifted after a few minutes, but similar alerts were also activated in Taif and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia’s second-largest city.
Reacting to the allegation, a Houthi military source told Yemen’s SABA news agency that the group poses no threat to Mecca or any Islamic holy site.
“We categorically deny that there is any threat from Yemen directed at the city of Mecca or any other holy sites,” the source said, describing the reports as “misinformation.”
The Houthis have in the past denied targeting Mecca, insisting they do not target holy sites.
The incident marks a sharp resurgence in the Yemen conflict that dates back to 2015 when Saudi Arabia intervened after the Houthis seized Sanaa and ousted the internationally recognised government.
Although a UN-brokered truce in April 2022 largely halted Houthi attacks on Saudi territory, hostilities have escalated again since the group declared a blockade on Saudi shipping in July and seized control of strategic points along the Bab al-Mandeb coastline.
In early September, the Iran-aligned group launched missiles and drones at multiple sites across Saudi Arabia, in what Riyadh described as attacks on civilian and economic infrastructure.
The Saudi-led coalition also said it would respond “firmly” to Houthi strikes that injured 13 people in Khamis Mushait, Abha and Taif on Tuesday.
The alert in Mecca is significant, being the first in nearly a decade in a city that hosts the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest site, which two billion Muslims face during daily prayers.
Saudi Arabia welcomed about 1.7 million pilgrims for this year’s Hajj in late May, and more than 11.7 million Umrah pilgrims between September and October 2025.
