Saudi Arabia: Drone targeting Mecca intercepted, Houthis deny any attack on holy city
Riyadh claims to have shot down a drone launched toward Mecca, an accusation rejected by Yemeni rebels, amid renewed fighting in Yemen and escalating tensions with Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia announced that it intercepted a drone it says was launched by Yemeni Houthi rebels toward Mecca, Islam's holiest city, according to reports cited by France 24.
Saudi authorities did not immediately specify the exact circumstances of the interception or provide additional technical details about the device in question.
For their part, the Houthis, a rebel movement controlling much of Yemen, denied targeting Mecca. They thus rejected the Saudi account of events, according to the same source.
This incident comes as fighting resumes in Yemen, which has been the scene of a prolonged conflict for years between Houthi rebels, backed by Iran according to several international observers, and a coalition led by Saudi Arabia in support of the internationally recognized Yemeni government.
Tensions between Riyadh and the Houthis have intensified recently, in a regional context marked by persistent instability. No independent source has yet been able to definitively confirm the actual target of the drone in question.
Sources
- Arabie saoudite : les Houthis du Yémen ont-ils attaqué La Mecque ? — France 24 — Français
EGazette summarizes reporting from multiple sources; follow the links for the originals.
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