Saudi Arabia's air defense on Tuesday destroyed a drone launched by the Houthi group of Yemen near Mecca. This information was released by the coalition led by Saudi Arabia.
Incident Details
Turki Al-Maliki, spokesman for the coalition, announced that the drone was destroyed at 18:50 local time (15:50 GMT) on Monday before entering prohibited airspace, and its remnants fell in the south of the city of Mecca. Al-Maliki described this incident as the second attempt by the Houthis to target Mecca, referencing a ballistic missile launched towards the city on July 27, 2017.
Coalition Security Measures
Al-Maliki emphasized that the security of the two holy mosques and their visitors is considered a "red line," and the coalition will take necessary measures to prevent further attacks. This incident occurred a day after the coalition announced that 13 civilians were injured in Houthi missile and drone attacks on Khamis Mushait, Abha, and Taif, and that seven houses and two vehicles were also damaged.
Confrontations between the internationally recognized Yemeni government forces and the Houthis have intensified since early July. Yemen has been embroiled in war since 2014, with the Houthis capturing the capital Sana'a and several provinces. The Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia entered the war in 2015 to support the recognized government.
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