Saudi Arabia Says It Shot Down a Houthi Drone Near Mecca, Islam’s Holiest City

The Houthi drone attack near Mecca triggered swift regional anger against the Iran backed rebel group, as fears grow that the wider Middle East war is edging closer to Islam’s most sacred ground.

Drone Intercepted Near Islam’s Holiest City

Saudi Arabia said its forces shot down a Houthi drone on the outskirts of Mecca on Tuesday. The incident sparked quick and widespread regional condemnation of the Iran backed Yemeni rebel group. Mecca is Islam’s holiest city and home to the Grand Mosque, visited by millions of pilgrims every year.

First Such Incident in Nearly a Decade

Turki al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Saudi led Coalition Forces, said the group had targeted the city. He noted this marked the first time in almost ten years that the Houthis had targeted Mecca. The last such attempt was a ballistic missile intercepted back in 2017. Saudi authorities also issued a security alert for the holy city following the incident.

Houthis Reject the Claim

The Houthis quickly denied ever threatening Mecca. Military spokesman Yahya Saree said early Wednesday that the group’s real targets were Saudi oil facilities and military bases. He insisted these sites were “””far removed from the holy places”””. The Houthis follow the Zaydi branch of Shiite Islam and also consider Mecca a sacred city.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation condemned the strike as a heinous attack. It denounced what it called ongoing Houthi aggression against Saudi Arabia and the wider region.

A Region on Edge as Yemen’s War Widens

The rebel group has advanced rapidly across Yemen in recent weeks. Its attacks on neighboring Saudi Arabia have placed the Gulf kingdom in an increasingly tough spot. Riyadh now faces the real risk of being pulled deeper into a wider regional conflict. This comes as the ongoing US Iran war continues to drag on without resolution.

The Houthi drone attack near Mecca also tests a month old defense pact. Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan signed that agreement to counter exactly this kind of regional escalation.

Saudi Forces Respond With Airstrikes

Saudi forces launched airstrikes across Houthi held areas of Yemen last Saturday and again on Tuesday, according to the Houthis themselves. The group has ramped up its fighting against Yemen’s Saudi backed government in recent weeks and has expanded the territory under its control.

Last week alone, Houthi fighters captured a Red Sea port city in Yemen. They also seized an island near a key waterway that has served for months as a backup route to the Strait of Hormuz, used for exporting Saudi oil and refined products.

Fears Grow Over Oil Supply Routes

The Houthis’ tightening grip over Red Sea shipping has fueled growing fears. Many now worry that the region’s main oil escape routes are slowly closing off. Iran and the United States continue to battle for control over the Strait of Hormuz at the same time.

Oil prices climbed back above one hundred dollars a barrel last week. This followed fresh US strikes on Iranian oil tankers in the Gulf, along with the intensifying fighting in Yemen. The price surge has sparked protests around the world, as people demand government action and economic relief.