Saudi reports Houthi missile debris in Mecca
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Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defense said Saturday that debris from the interception of two ballistic missiles launched by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis towards Mecca and Medina fell in several areas.
In a statement, the Civil Defense spokesperson said fragments fell in Wadi Al-Maghammas in Mecca, the Al-Nuzha neighborhood in Jeddah, Wadi Jalil in Taif and Masturah in Rabigh Governorate.
The statement did not report any casualties.
Houthi denial
The Houthis denied Saudi Arabia's statements, claiming its military operations target Saudi oil facilities and military bases.
In a statement, the Houthis, who refer to themselves as the “Yemeni Armed Forces,” described the Saudi statements as “a grave and blatant falsehood” and said the group announces its operations when they take place.
Escalating Houthi attacks
The incident comes amid a renewed wave of missile and drone attacks targeting Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized government said Saturday that it had intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis toward Taif and Yanbu.
Saudi authorities also issued early-warning alerts in several areas before announcing that the danger had passed.
The Houthis, who control Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, have resumed cross-border attacks after a 2022 United Nations-brokered truce largely halted fighting between the group and the Saudi-led coalition.
