Coalition Says It Destroyed Houthi Drone Near Mecca

Saudi Arabia’s Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted and destroyed a drone it attributed to Yemen’s Houthi movement in the Mecca region, while Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree denied that the group had carried out an operation targeting Saudi territory that day. The reports do not independently establish who launched the drone or what its intended target was. Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Maliki said the drone was intercepted in the area surrounding Mecca. One account said it was stopped before entering the city’s restricted airspace. The coalition described the aircraft as Houthi-launched, but that attribution is disputed by the group. Saree said the Houthis had not conducted an operation targeting Saudi territory that day. He said the group’s military operations target oil facilities and military bases. The competing statements leave the drone’s origin and intended destination unverified. The reports also described other developments in the region. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said a tanker caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz after two explosive devices attached to its hull by a small boat detonated on Thursday. The crew was safe and there was no...