Hazem al-Assad, an official from the Houthim political bureau, has\nrefuted statements from the Saudi Arabian-led coalition claiming they\nintercepted a drone targeting Mecca. He described the allegations as an\n\u2018old lie\u2019 that has been used previously.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe claim regarding the targeting of Mecca is an old lie that has\nbeen used before,\u201d wrote Hazem al-Assad of the Houthi political bureau\non his X account, as reported by AFP on Wednesday (16\/9\/2026). He added\nthat the Saudi claims could no longer deceive anyone.<\/p>\n
Previously, the Houthi group was reported to have launched a drone\ntowards Saudi Arabian territory, specifically near Mecca. The drone was\nreportedly intercepted and destroyed by Saudi Arabian air defence\nsystems.<\/p>\n
According to Anadolu Agency on Wednesday (16\/9\/2026), the drone\nattack occurred on Tuesday (15\/9) at 18:50 local time. Turki al-Malki, a\nspokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition, stated that the drone was\nintercepted before entering prohibited airspace and that debris fell\nsouth of the city.<\/p>\n
Al-Malki described this incident as the second attempt by the Houthis\nto target Mecca, noting that the group previously launched a ballistic\nmissile towards the city on 27 July 2017. He emphasised that the\nsecurity of the Two Holy Mosques and the pilgrims is a \u201cred line,\u201d\npromising that the coalition would take measures to prevent further\nattacks.<\/p>\n
Saudi Arabia had previously issued an emergency warning predicting\npotential attacks in several regions, including the holy city of Mecca\nand the second-largest city, Jeddah. This warning followed a series of\nattacks over the past week by armed groups affiliated with Iran, further\ninvolving the nation in Middle Eastern conflicts.<\/p>\n
As reported by Reuters on Tuesday (15\/9), the warning was rescinded\nshortly after being issued. Saudi authorities did not report any falling\nprojectiles, nor did any party immediately claim responsibility for the\nattacks. This latest warning covered the widest area since last week\u2019s\nconflict escalation; sirens were heard in Mecca for the first time\nduring this war, a city that houses sacred sites for all Muslims.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/houthis-deny-saudi-claims-regarding-drone-attack-on-mecca-old-lie-1789531158", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }