Another drone was shot down in the Mecca region

Another drone was shot down in the Mecca area

Saudi Arabia reported that on October 30 it intercepted a drone launched by the Yemeni Houthis toward the city of Mecca. In response, the Houthis stated that they did not direct the drone toward the holy city.

Arab Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Malki said the drone belonged to the Iran-backed Houthis. Earlier, the coalition also intercepted a cruise missile in the west of the kingdom.

Houthi spokesperson Yahya Sarea noted in a statement that no operations were carried out against Mecca. According to him, the group targets only Saudi Arabia's oil facilities and military bases.

This is not the first instance of a drone launch toward Mecca being reported. In September, a drone aimed at the city was also shot down. The Kingdom stated that the device belonged to the Houthis, but the Yemeni group denied that information as well. Turki al-Malki called that incident the second attempt to attack Mecca following the launch of a ballistic missile in July 2017. Following those events, a number of countries, including Uzbekistan, strongly condemned the attacks on the holy city.