Makkah drone intercepted as Houthis deny targeting holy city
Riyadh: The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen said on Tuesday, November 3, that it had intercepted and destroyed a drone in Saudi Arabia’s Makkah region, the latest in a string of such incidents near Islam’s holiest city.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels denied carrying out any attack on Saudi territory and called the claim a fabrication.
Coalition spokesman Maj Gen Turki al-Maliki announced the interception in a post on X. He did not say where the drone had been launched from or whether it caused any casualties or damage.
The announcement came a day after the coalition said it had shot down two drones in the Riyadh region and a ballistic missile fired by the Houthis towards the kingdom’s southern region.
Houthis deny attack
In a statement on X, the Houthi-controlled Yemeni Armed Forces said they “did not carry out any operation today toward Saudi territories.”
The statement accused Saudi Arabia of inventing the incident to cover up its losses on the battlefield. It described the allegation that the group had targeted Mecca as “a blatant and recycled lie.”
It also claimed the setbacks had driven Riyadh to seek Israel’s help against Yemen.
تؤكد القوات المسلحة اليمنية أنها لم تنفذ اليوم أي عملية باتجاه الأراضي السعودية.
— العميد/ يحيى سريع (@Yah_Saree) November 3, 2026
إن الهزائم التي تلحقها قواتنا المسلحة بالعدو السعودي قد أصابته بالتخبط والارتباك فراح يفبرك الأحداث ويصطنع الوقائع مدعيا ومفتريا استهداف قواتنا المسلحة لمكة المكرمة وهو بهتان وأكذوبة قديمة جديدة…
Earlier confrontations
On October 30, the coalition said it had intercepted a drone launched by the Iran-backed Houthis towards the Makkah region. It also reported destroying a Houthi cruise missile aimed at western Saudi Arabia the same day.
The Houthis denied targeting Makkah at the time. They said their operations were aimed at Saudi oil installations and military bases.
On September 15, Saudi air defences destroyed a drone south of Makkah before it could enter the city’s restricted airspace, according to the coalition. Authorities briefly issued a security alert in Makkah that evening, the first since 2017.
Al-Maliki had then described the incident as an attempt to target the holy city. He said the security of the Two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madinah, and of the pilgrims who visit them, was a “red line.” The Houthis rejected that accusation too.
Saudi authorities have in the past reported intercepting ballistic missiles fired towards Makkah, including one in July 2017 that was destroyed over Taif, about 69 km from the city.
Escalating conflict
Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition in Yemen since 2015, backing the internationally recognised government against the Houthis, who seized the capital Sanaa in 2014.
The latest interception follows a sharp rise in hostilities between the two sides, with the Houthis firing missiles and drones at several Saudi cities.
According to the United Nations, more than 1,600 people have been killed and over 300,000 displaced since fighting resumed in Yemen.
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