In brief
The Saudi‑led coalition announced on Friday that it had intercepted a Houthi‑launched drone over the Mecca region, while the Houthi group denied the allegation. Both sides have cited social‑media posts to support their positions amid sustained cross‑border hostilities.
On Friday, the Saudi‑led coalition said it intercepted a drone over the Mecca region, while Yemen’s Houthi group denied launching the drone, Xinhua reported.
Saudi‑led coalition spokesperson Turki Al‑Maliki posted on X that a Houthi drone had been intercepted and destroyed in the Mecca area, home to Islam’s holiest city, according to the agency.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea countered by posting on X that the group carried out “no operations toward Saudi territory” on Friday and called the coalition’s claim “false,” the agency said.
The exchange comes amid weeks of escalating cross‑border hostilities, with Saudi air strikes hitting Houthi‑held areas in Yemen and the rebels launching missiles and drones toward Saudi Arabia, Xinhua noted.
The conflict has raged since 2014, following the Houthi takeover of Sanaa and a Saudi‑led intervention in 2015 to support the Yemeni government, the outlet added.
No independent verification of the interception has been released, and the Houthi denial remains unconfirmed, but the agencies report the back‑and‑forth statements as the latest developments.
Mecca’s sanctity makes any military activity there especially sensitive, analysts say, and both sides have previously accused each other of targeting the holy sites, the agency added.
Analysts warn that any escalation could trigger broader regional reactions, as the Saudi coalition has already pledged to neutralize all obstacles to its “defensive” operations, the outlet reported.
Late on Friday, coalition’s air force confirmed the drone was destroyed, but did not disclose technical details, the agency said.