Saudi Forces Down Houthi Drone Targeting Mecca
Coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki said the drone was shot down around 6:50 p.m. local time (1550 GMT) Tuesday, just before it could enter restricted airspace over the city, with debris landing south of Mecca.
Al-Malki called the attack the Houthis' second attempt to strike the holy city, pointing to a ballistic missile the group fired toward Mecca on July 27, 2017. He said protecting the Two Holy Mosques and the pilgrims within them was a "red line," and vowed the coalition would take further steps to deter future attacks.
The incident follows a coalition report from a day earlier stating that 13 civilians were wounded in Houthi missile and drone strikes on Khamis Mushait, Abha and Taif, which also damaged seven homes and two vehicles.
Clashes between forces loyal to Yemen's internationally recognized government and the Houthis have intensified since early July, breaking a stretch of relative calm. Yemen has been mired in conflict since the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, along with several other provinces in 2014, prompting a Saudi-led Arab coalition to intervene in 2015 on behalf of the internationally recognized government.
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