Alert! The holy city of Mecca, sacred to Muslims, has reportedly been\ntargeted by a drone attack. The Saudi-led military coalition fighting\nHouthi rebels in the Middle East stated that the Yemeni rebels attempted\nto attack Mecca on Wednesday (16\/09\/2026).<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Air Defence Forces of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia intercepted\nand destroyed a hostile drone launched by the Houthi Terrorist Militia\nbefore the drone entered the Prohibited Airspace of the Holy City\n\u2018Makkah Al-Mukarramah\u2019,\u201d stated coalition spokesperson Turki al-Maliki\nin a post on X, as reported by AFP.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe security of the \u2018Two Holy Mosques\u2019 and the pilgrims is a red\nline, and the Coalition Joint Forces Command will not hesitate to take\nall necessary and preventative actions against the Houthi Terrorist\nMilitia,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Previously, Saudi Arabia had issued a warning on Tuesday regarding\npotential attacks in Mecca and the southern regions of the Kingdom\nbordering Yemen. This warning, the first issued for Mecca since the\nUS-Iran conflict erupted in February, follows a wave of ballistic\nmissile and unmanned aerial vehicle attacks launched from Yemen that\ninjured 13 people in the Kingdom.<\/p>\n
Muslim Nations Express Anger<\/p>\n
This development has angered the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation\n(OIC). In a joint statement, the 57-member bloc condemned the Houthi\nattacks, describing them as \u201cvile.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe General Secretariat of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation\n(OIC) condemns the vile attacks carried out by the Houthi group against\nthe cities of Mecca and Medina, as well as their ongoing aggression\nagainst the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,\u201d the OIC stated on X.<\/p>\n
However, a Houthi official dismissed the reports, claiming the\nallegations are mere falsehoods.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe claim regarding the targeting of Mecca is an old lie that has\nbeen used before and can no longer deceive anyone,\u201d wrote Hazem al-Assad\nfrom the Houthi political bureau on X.<\/p>\n
Notably, tensions in the Middle East are escalating once again.\nFollowing the conflicts involving Israel in Gaza and Lebanon, and the\nUS-Iran tensions spreading to the Strait of Hormuz, fighting has resumed\nbetween the Iran-backed Houthi group and the Saudi-backed Yemeni\ngovernment.<\/p>\n
The Houthis have even conducted lightning strikes, including a\nmaritime blockade against the Saudi Kingdom, targeting their vessels in\nthe Red Sea.<\/p>\n
Over the weekend, the Houthis also gained control of the entire\nYemeni Red Sea coast and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a vital artery for\nSaudi oil exports, at a time when the broader Middle East war is\ndisrupting strategic shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n
On 10 September, the Saudi Arabia East-West Pipeline was targeted by\nseveral drones, leading to a temporary shutdown. Reuters reported that\nthe impact on Saudi oil export routes has been significant.<\/p>\n
A Global Disaster<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Houthi disruptions could also severely impact Egypt, as\nthe Red Sea serves as the gateway to the Suez Canal, a crucial source of\nforeign exchange for Cairo. Currently, revenue from the canal is only\nabout half of what it was before the Houthis began attacking ships in\nthe Red Sea in 2023\u2014a campaign they claim is an act of solidarity with\nthe Palestinian people during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, Qatar warned of serious consequences if the Bab al-Mandab\nStrait were to be closed, asserting that such an event would be \u201ca\ndisaster for the entire world.\u201d<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/alert-mecca-targeted-by-drone-attacks-a-potential-global-disaster-1789538198", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }