Saudi Arabia Calls Mecca a ‘Red Line’ After Alleged Houthi Drone Attack

Saudi Arabia on Wednesday accused the Iran-backed Houthis of an attempted attack on Mecca, the holiest city in Islam and a site of pilgrimage for Muslims worldwide.Colonel Turki Al-Malki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition forces in Yemen, said that the Houthis launched a drone toward Mecca on Tuesday evening, but it was shot down by the Saudi Air Defense Forces before entering the city’s restricted airspace.“The security of the Two Holy Mosques and the pilgrims is a red line,” said Al-Malki, who warned that the Saudi-led coalition “will not hesitate to take the necessary and deterrent measures” against the Houthis. Riyadh referenced a previous similar incident from July 2017, in which it accused the Houthis of targeting Mecca. The Houthis acknowledged launching a missile from Yemen, but said that it was aiming for the King Fahd air base in Taif. The Yemeni militia group has denied the allegation, accusing Riyadh of spreading “false accusations” on Wednesday.“There is no threat from Yemen to the holy sites. Our operations target its oil facilities and military bases, and are far from the holy sites,” said Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree via Telegram. The allegation c...