SAUDI FORCES INTERCEPT HOUTHI DRONE NEAR MECCA

Saudi air defence forces intercepted and destroyed a drone launched by Houthi forces south of Mecca on Tuesday, before it could enter prohibited airspace over the city, according to Turki al-Malki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led military coalition fighting the group in Yemen. Malki said the security of Islam's holiest sites and of pilgrims was a "red line" and that the coalition would take all necessary measures against the Houthis. He described it as the second Houthi attempt to target Mecca, after what the coalition said was a ballistic missile launch in July 2017. Houthi spokesperson Hazem al-Assad rejected the claim, writing that "the claims about targeting Mecca are a worn-out lie that has been used before and no longer fools anyone." The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, representing 57 Muslim-majority countries, condemned what it called a "heinous" attack and blamed the Houthis.

Mecca is home to shrines sacred to Muslims worldwide and is the focal point of the annual hajj pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam undertaken by millions each year. Saudi authorities issued security alerts across parts of the country, including Mecca and other cities, on Tuesday. This followed a week of attacks by Iran-aligned fighters that have drawn Saudi Arabia deeper into the wider Middle East conflict. The Houthis said they had carried out several major attacks on Saudi Arabia over the preceding week, including a strike on an airbase on Monday described as retaliation for airstrikes on Yemen. The group controls parts of Yemen's Red Sea coast overlooking the Bab al-Mandab strait, one of the world's key shipping routes.

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation described the drone interception as part of "ongoing aggression" against Saudi Arabia. The coalition said it would take necessary deterrent measures against the Houthis following the incident. According to the coalition, the group's control of the Bab al-Mandab strait has allowed it to threaten Saudi oil exports rerouted from the Strait of Hormuz. No casualties were reported from the interception south of Mecca. The exchange adds to the escalating confrontation between the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis.