Saudi Arabia thwarts Houthi drone attack South of Makkah
The Saudi Air Defenses Tuesday September 15, 2026 thwarted a Houti drone attack south of Makkah, stopping it from reaching the Holy City
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Makkah al Mukarramah: The Saudi Air Defenses Tuesday September 15, 2026 thwarted a Houti drone attack south of Makkah, stopping it from reaching the Holy City.
The Saudi Air Defenses intercepted and destroyed the Houthi drone south of Makkah on Tuesday evening before it entered the prohibited airspace of the holy city, the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen said.
Citing a statement by Coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki, local daily Saudi Gazette reported that the Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces intercepted the drone at 06:50 PM on September 15, 2026 before it entered the restricted airspace over Makkah.
Al-Maliki described the latest attack on Makkah al Mukarramah as the Houthis’ second attempt to target the Islam’s Holiest City, citing an earlier ballistic missile launch on July 27, 2017.
Al-Maliki said at the time that the missile was shot down over Al-Wasliya area in Taif province. No damage or injuries were reported, Arab News reported.
He said the latest attempt targeted a city of profound religious significance to Muslims worldwide and sought to endanger and intimidate pilgrims, citizens and residents.
“Makkah on Red Alert”
The Houthi’s failed drone attack came as Makkah and several other areas on Saudi Arabia's western coast, were briefly put on alert. It was the first time in history when an aerial threat alert was issued in Makkah.
Fresh fighting between the Iran-backed Houthis and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government has dragged in Riyadh, with the Houthis declaring a maritime blockade on the kingdom and targeting its ships in the Red Sea.
On Monday, thirteen civilians in Saudi Arabia were injured as a result of the group’s targeting of civilian areas in Khamis Mushait, Abha and Taif with ballistic missiles.
Last week an attack by the militia left more than 70 people injured, including women and children, in various towns and cities across Saudi Arabia.
The Kingdom on Friday temporarily shut down its East-West Pipeline after it was targeted in several drone attacks in the Riyadh and Madinah regions.
The Joint Forces Command meanwhile again warned to Houthis against attack on the Holy Cities.
“The security of the Two Holy Mosques and the pilgrims is a red line”, the Command said.
“Unacceptable, Intolerable Transgression”
The Houthi attacks on civilians and industrial infrastructure sparked worldwide outrage.
The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) condemned the heinous attacks carried out by the Houthi group against the Holy City of Makkah and the Madinah region, as well as its ongoing aggression against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
"These attacks instill fear in innocent civilians, violate the sanctity of holy sites and mosques, and provoke the sentiments of Muslims around the world", the OIC said.
The General Secretariat affirmed that the acts committed by the Houthi terrorist militia against holy sites, mosques, and civilian infrastructure constitute terrorism that runs counter to Islamic values and to international norms, principles, and law.
The OIC stressed that the violation of the sanctity of the Holy Sites is an unacceptable and intolerable transgression that requires deterring the perpetrators and blocking the path of anyone who dares to infringe upon these sites.
In a statement, the General Secretariat expressed its full solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its support for all measures taken by the Kingdom to deter the aggressors, preserve the sanctity of holy sites and the lives of Muslims, and protect its security and sovereignty.
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