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Saudi air defences intercepted and destroyed a drone south of Makkah on Tuesday evening before it entered the restricted airspace over the holy city, according to the Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthis.
Coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki said the drone was intercepted at around 6:50pm local time on September 15.
He said its wreckage fell south of Makkah after the interception.
Al-Maliki described the incident as the Houthis’ second reported attempt to target Makkah. He referred to a ballistic missile launched toward the city in July 2017.
He also said the security of the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims remained a “red line”. The coalition, he added, would take measures to deter further attacks.
The Houthis rejected the Saudi claim that the drone was heading toward Makkah.
The group described the allegation as false and denied targeting the holy city or Islamic religious sites. Reuters also reported the Houthi denial while confirming that Saudi authorities attributed the drone to the group.
The conflicting accounts could not be independently verified.
The incident came amid renewed fighting between Houthi forces and forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognised government.
The conflict has intensified after years of relative calm. The Houthis seized Sanaa and large parts of Yemen in 2014, prompting a Saudi-led military intervention in 2015.
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation condemned what it described as attacks targeting the Makkah and Madinah regions.
The OIC called the reported attacks “heinous” and said they violated the sanctity of holy sites and threatened civilians.
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The development followed Saudi reports that 13 civilians were injured in Houthi missile and drone attacks on Khamis Mushait, Abha and Taif.
Saudi authorities also reported damage to seven homes and two vehicles.
Separately, the Houthis claimed that they had shot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet over Yemen’s Marib province.
The group said it used a locally developed missile against the aircraft.
The claim followed the reported interception of the drone near Makkah. However, there was no independent confirmation of the fighter-jet claim from Saudi authorities at the time of reporting.
The Houthis have also accused Saudi-led forces of carrying out hundreds of strikes in Yemen. Those figures remain claims from the group and have not been independently verified.
The wider regional conflict also remained focused on Iran.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told the House Financial Services Committee that Washington was pursuing what he described as an extensive economic isolation campaign against Iran and entities accused of supporting Tehran.
Bessent said US sanctions were placing growing pressure on Iran’s economy.
He also said the Treasury would increase enforcement against entities accused of helping Iran circumvent sanctions.
The remarks came as Washington continued its campaign against Iranian financial networks and oil-related trade.
The US House of Representatives separately passed a war powers resolution directing President Donald Trump to remove US forces from hostilities with Iran.
The House approved H. Con. Res. 93 by 220 votes to 204 on September 15. Seven Republicans joined Democrats in supporting the measure. The official House vote record confirms the result.
The resolution marks the third time the House has approved a similar war powers measure during the conflict.
The vote does not by itself end US military operations. Further constitutional and legislative steps would be required for the measure to take effect.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated that US combat operations against Iran had cost the Department of Defense about $38.1 billion as of August 1.
The CBO said the cost could increase by $2 billion to $3 billion for each additional month of fighting, depending on the intensity of military operations.
The largest component involved replacing expended munitions. The CBO estimated that this accounted for about $21.7 billion.
The estimate also covered increased flying hours, fuel costs, equipment losses and other operational expenses.
The CBO noted that its estimate carries uncertainty because the Defense Department did not provide all requested information.
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