Saudi Arabia has accused Yemen’s Houthi rebels of targeting Mecca, warning that any threat to Islam’s holiest city and the safety of pilgrims would be met with a strong response.
The Saudi-led coalition said on Wednesday that it had intercepted a drone heading towards Mecca.
The Houthis, however, dismissed the allegation, describing Riyadh’s account as false.
“The claims about targeting Mecca are a worn-out lie that has been used before and no longer fools anyone,” Hazem al-Assad from the Houthi politburo wrote on X.
The latest development comes amid renewed fighting between the Iran-backed Houthis and Yemen’s Saudi-supported government.
The rebels have also declared a maritime blockade on Saudi ships in the Red Sea, while the conflict has intensified concerns over shipping through the strategic waterway.
Saudi Arabia said it had previously accused the Houthis of launching attacks towards Mecca and vowed to retaliate against any threat to the holy sites. “The coalition will not hesitate to take the necessary and deterrent measures against the Terrorist Houthi Militia.”
A resident of Mecca, speaking anonymously to AFP, described the reaction after the reported incident. “I saw a few people panicking, running to the window to see what happened,” the resident said. “I think the alarm system creates panic… Life is normal in Mecca, and there have been previous incidents in Mecca so this isn’t the first one.”
Another resident also expressed concern, saying, “I won’t hide that we were scared,” a second Mecca resident, also speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP, “or you can say surprised”.
“Aren’t they Muslims? They’re targeting the holiest city. What’s inside to target?”
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, which comprises 57 Muslim countries, condemned what it described as “heinous attacks… against the city of Mecca and the Madinah region”.
The renewed conflict has also triggered a humanitarian crisis in Yemen, with the United Nations saying 82,000 people have fled their homes since the beginning of September.
The fighting escalated in July when the Houthis, who have controlled large parts of northern Yemen for years, launched a major offensive against government forces.
Saudi Arabia and Egypt have meanwhile called for freedom and security of maritime navigation through the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
The disruption of the waterway could have wider economic consequences, particularly for Egypt, whose Suez Canal is a major source of foreign revenue.
Qatar has also warned that a closure of Bab al-Mandab would be “catastrophic for the entire world”.
The Houthis have also attacked Saudi oil infrastructure, while Riyadh’s retaliatory strikes have so far failed to halt the rebels’ recent territorial gains.
The rebels claimed on Wednesday that they had shot down a Saudi fighter jet.
A US military task force is also assisting Saudi forces with intelligence-sharing and planning, according to a US official who spoke to AFP.
