One person was killed and two were injured by debris from a drone launched by Houthi rebels that fell on Taif governorate, Saudi Arabia, after it had been intercepted and destroyed, Saudi Civil Defence said.
The death is the first to be announced in the kingdom since the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen resumed attacks on Saudi Arabia this month.
The person killed was a Yemeni citizen, while those injured are a Saudi woman and a Pakistani, whose condition is critical, a Civil Defence spokesman told the Saudi Press Agency. The debris also damaged buildings and vehicles.
The Houthis have intensified attacks on Saudi Arabia amid a wider escalation involving Iran-aligned armed groups in the Middle East. The attacks have triggered alerts in cities in the south and west.
An attack blamed on Iran-aligned fighters in Iraq last week halted the flow of oil through Saudi Arabia's East-West Pipeline. The pipeline became the kingdom's main conduit for oil and gas exports after Iran blockaded the Strait of Hormuz when the current war broke out.
Riyadh said its air defences shot down a drone launched by Houthi rebels south of Makkah on Tuesday, before it entered prohibited airspace over the holy city. The attack crossed a “red line” of endangering shrines sacred to all Muslims, it said.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree denied the group had targeted Makkah and dismissed the Saudi reports as mere propaganda.
He said on Wednesday the group had attacked an airbase in Khamis Mushait and Aramco facilities in Yanbu. Saudi Arabia did not confirm either attack.
While Saudi Arabia backs Yemen's internationally recognised government, the Houthis control the capital Sanaa and large parts of the country. Fighting reduced significantly after a truce took effect in 2022 but hostilities have risen sharply in recent weeks.
Makkah agreement
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan, allies of the US, signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement on August 7 to deepen military and defence co-operation. The accord stipulates that an armed attack against any member will be regarded as an attack on all, similar to Nato's Article 5 collective defence clause.
The countries announced they would establish political and military mechanisms to co-ordinate their defence and security policies in line with the pact.
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said his country is committed to implementing the joint defence agreement with Saudi Arabia, but operational details on how it would respond to Houthi attacks remain confidential.
Asked how Pakistan would ensure Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia were thwarted and protect the kingdom's solidarity and territorial integrity, Mr Dar said Islamabad was committed to implementing the agreement “in intent and spirit”.
“When, how, where and what force will be used against which objectives, in which modes, and other matters involving operational confidentiality require us to maintain some discretion at this stage,” he said.
Pakistan previously said it is bound to act under the Makkah agreement amid attacks by Houthi rebels targeting Saudi Arabia.
