Saudi air defences intercept missiles near Mecca

Saudi air defences intercepted two ballistic missiles over the Mecca region on Wednesday. Debris from the destroyed projectiles fell near the holy city as regional hostilities intensified.

Saudi state television identified the two impact zones near the Grand Mosque. Fragments landed in Sabuhah village, located about 35 kilometres northeast of the sacred site.

Additional debris struck Wadi al-Maghmas, roughly 21 kilometres east of the mosque. Saudi Arabia’s civil defence confirmed that defence forces intercepted and destroyed both incoming missiles.

Saudi officials condemned the incident early on Thursday. The civil defence stated that targeting civilian objects violates international humanitarian law and proves the Houthi militia’s dangerous hostility.

However, Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement has repeatedly rejected similar Saudi accusations. The group maintains that its fighters strike only military and strategic targets elsewhere in the kingdom.

Mecca houses sites sacred to Muslims across the globe. Millions of believers travel there annually to perform the hajj pilgrimage, one of Islam’s five core pillars.

The conflict began in 2014 when Houthi forces seized Yemen’s capital, Sanaa. Saudi Arabia intervened militarily the following year to support Yemen’s internationally recognised government.

A UN-brokered truce largely froze the fighting in 2022. Unfortunately, heavy hostilities resumed earlier this year, shattering the fragile peace across the region.

Houthi forces now launch frequent missile and drone attacks into Saudi territory. In response, Riyadh conducts regular airstrikes against Houthi positions inside Yemen.

This latest escalation threatens the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait. This vital waterway links the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, carrying crucial global maritime trade.