Saudi Arabia’s air defences destroyed a Houthi drone south of Makkah before it entered prohibited airspace over the holy city, the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen said on Wednesday.
The drone was intercepted at about 6.50pm local time on Tuesday, coalition spokesman Maj Gen Turki Al Malki said in a statement. He said it was the second Houthi attempt to attack Makkah after a ballistic missile launch in July 2017.
Video widely shared online appeared to show a bright projectile lighting up the night sky near a mosque, followed by a loud explosion. The authenticity of the footage could not be immediately verified.
The security of Makkah, its visitors and pilgrims was a "red line", Maj Gen Al Malki said. He added that coalition forces would take measures against the Iran-backed Houthis and their "hostile and terrorist behaviour".
The Houthis denied attacking the holy city.
Mohammed Al Farah, a member of the Houthi political bureau, said claims that the group had launched an attack on Makkah were "an outright lie", according to a statement carried by the Houthi-run Saba news agency on Tuesday night. He accused Saudi Arabia of using the allegation to mobilise Muslims against Yemen and divert attention from the conflict.
Mr Al Farah said Yemenis were more concerned with protecting Makkah and Islamic holy sites than those who, he claimed, exploited them politically.
The Houthis have increased attacks on Saudi Arabia following rapid advances along Yemen's western coastline, drawing Riyadh deeper into the wider regional conflict.
The Saudi Civil Defence issued alerts for Makkah on Tuesday, among other cities including Abha and Khamis Mushait, amid heightened security concerns following recent Houthi missile and drone attacks.
The Houthis have seized positions along Yemen's Red Sea coast and strategic territory around the Bab Al Mandeb strait, one of the world's key maritime chokepoints. That has raised concerns over threats to shipping and Saudi oil exports as traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains severely disrupted.
Saudi Arabia has also faced attacks on critical energy infrastructure. The kingdom shut its 1,200km East-West oil pipeline last week after drone attacks that Saudi authorities said originated in Iraq. The pipeline links oil-producing areas in the east with the Red Sea port of Yanbu and has become increasingly important owing to the sharp drop in ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
The latest confrontation follows a series of Houthi attacks on Saudi targets. The group has said some of its attacks were carried out in retaliation for Saudi strikes on Yemen, while Riyadh has sought greater international support as the conflict expanded.
