RIYADH – The Saudi-led coalition announced on the 6th (local time) that it successfully intercepted and destroyed a drone over the holy city of Mecca.

According to AFP, Coalition Spokesman Turki al-Maliki made the announcement via X (formerly Twitter) on the same day, though he did not specify who was responsible for the attack.

This incident follows an announcement from the Saudi-led coalition a day earlier (the 5th) stating it had intercepted a missile fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels targeting the Medina region. The Houthi movement strongly denied the claim, calling it a "blatant and grave lie."

While Houthi forces have frequently targeted Saudi airports, energy infrastructure, and military sites on the mainland, they have consistently denied launching attacks against Islam's two holiest sites—Mecca and Medina—due to fears of widespread backlash across the Muslim world.

In September, the Houthis launched a major offensive, seizing control of areas near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital strategic chokepoint connecting Europe and Asia via the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.

Yemeni government forces, backed by Saudi airstrikes, have since been working to retake the lost territory.

[ⓒ Global Economic Times. 무단전재-재배포 금지]