Pakistan PM condemns attempted drone attack on Mecca

• Shehbaz Sharif called the attack ‘unforgivable’.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has strongly condemned an attempted drone attack on the holy city of Mecca, following reports from the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen that its air defences intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone before it could enter the city's airspace.

In a post on X, Sharif described the incident as a "dastardly and heinous attempted drone attack," saying he condemned it "in the strongest possible terms."

I condemn in the strongest possible terms the dastardly and heinous attempted drone attack against the Holy Site of Makkah Al-Mukarramah.

The people of Pakistan are saddened and perturbed by this outrageous act. There can be no words strong enough to capture the depth of…

— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) September 16, 2026

"The people of Pakistan are saddened and perturbed by this outrageous act," he wrote, adding that there were "no words strong enough to capture the depth of anguish and sorrow felt by us at this reprehensible and unforgivable act."

The Prime Minister also renewed his call for restraint across the region, urging all parties involved to avoid further escalation.

The Mecca drone attack

The drone was intercepted south of Mecca on Tuesday evening, according to coalition spokesperson Turki al-Malki, who said it was destroyed before entering the holy city's prohibited airspace. 

Al-Malki called the security of Islam's two holiest sites and of pilgrims a "red line," and said the coalition would take "necessary deterrent measures" against the Houthis. He described the incident as only the second Houthi attempt to target Mecca, the first being a reported ballistic missile launch in July 2017.

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) also condemned the attack, saying in a statement that it "condemns the heinous attacks carried out by the Houthi group against the city of Makkah and the Madinah region, as well as its ongoing aggression against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia." The Houthis have denied targeting Mecca.

Houthis denied launching the attack. 

Read more: Houthis deny drone was aimed at Mecca