Saudi Arabia says it shot down Houthi drone south of Mecca - bbc.com

**Saudi Forces Intercept Houthi Drone Near Mecca**

Saudi Arabia’s air defense command announced on Friday that its fighter jets successfully shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels over the desert area south of Mecca. The Saudi military said the drone was detected by radar at approximately 22,000 feet and was engaged before it could approach the city that hosts the world’s holiest Islamic pilgrimage sites. No casualties or damage were reported on the ground, and the Saudi Ministry of Interior confirmed that the airspace over Mecca remains fully secured.

The interception comes amid a renewed wave of cross‑border attacks by the Iran‑aligned Houthis, who have been firing missiles and drones into Saudi territory since the coalition’s intervention in Yemen’s civil war in 2015. The Saudi-led coalition has repeatedly accused the Houthis of targeting civilian infrastructure and religious sites, while the Houthis contend that their strikes are limited to military objectives and have denied involvement in the recent drone incident. In a separate claim earlier this week, the Houthis said they had downed a Saudi fighter jet, a statement the Saudi defence ministry dismissed as “baseless.”

Security officials warned that the proximity of the drone to Mecca heightens concerns about the safety of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, which draws millions of worshippers from around the globe. The Saudi government has pledged to bolster its air‑defence network around the holy cities and has urged the international community to hold the Houthis accountable for any actions that threaten the sanctity of Islamic sites. Analysts note that while the downed drone did not cause harm, it underscores the volatile nature of the Saudi‑Yemeni frontier and the potential for escalation if the conflict continues unchecked.

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