Houthis deny Saudi accusation of drone attack on Mecca

Saudi Arabia accused Yemen's Houthi rebels of launching a drone toward the holy city of Mecca, a claim the Houthis have vehemently denied, escalating tensions in the ongoing conflict. The Saudi-led coalition stated its air defense forces intercepted and destroyed the drone south of Mecca on Tuesday evening before it entered the city's restricted airspace. Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Malki described the security of Islam's two holiest sites as a "red line" and said the incident was the second alleged Houthi attempt to target Mecca, following a 2017 ballistic missile attack. In a televised address on Thursday, Houthi leader AbdulMalik al-Houthi rejected the accusations, calling them a "major lie" and "fabrication." He stated the Yemeni people would sacrifice their lives to protect Mecca and accused Saudi Arabia of using the holy city as a "war banner" to justify its military campaign. Al-Houthi claimed the real threat to Mecca comes from Israel and announced readiness to act as part of an Islamic coalition against it. The exchange occurs amid a significant military escalation.