Saudi Arabia shot down drone in Makkah area; 17 killed in Houthi attacks

Tensions have escalated in the Saudi-led conflict, with Saudi forces claiming to have intercepted and destroyed a drone in the area of the holy Islamic city of Makkah. Meanwhile, Yemeni Houthi rebels have reported that 17 people have died due to Saudi airstrikes over the last two days.

Information regarding the destruction of the drone in the religious city of Makkah was shared on social media by Saudi conflict spokesperson Turki al-Malki. However, he did not provide any detailed information regarding the source of this attack. Saudi Arabia has previously accused the Houthis of targeting holy cities such as Makkah and Madinah on several occasions, but these Iran-backed fighters have consistently denied such allegations.

On the other hand, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree clarified on Tuesday that they had not carried out any attack on Saudi territory on Tuesday. He termed the Saudi statement as "defamatory and repeated lies." The Houthis also claimed that they had carried out drone attacks on airports located in the eastern and southern parts of the Saudi Kingdom.

According to Houthi allegations, 17 civilians have lost their lives in the last two days of this week due to Saudi airstrikes. The Houthi Health Ministry stated in a statement that most of the deceased were children. The ministry further added that this indicates Saudi aircraft are targeting residential areas, homes, and markets. Yahya Saree stated on Monday evening that Riyadh had carried out 109 attacks in Yemen in the last 24 hours, targeting the provinces of Saada, Taiz, Lahij, Al-Jawf, and Hodeidah.

According to the United Nations, more than 1,600 people have died and more than 3,00,000 people have been displaced since fighting resumed in Yemen.

The war has been ongoing in Yemen since the Houthis took control of the capital Sana'a in 2014. Subsequently, Saudi Arabia entered the conflict to support the government in the Saudi-led conflict. The ceasefire reached in 2022 broke down in July, and in September, the Houthis took control of areas overlooking the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, which connects Europe to Asia via the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.