Yemen’s Houthi movement rejected the Saudi-led coalition’s accusation that it launched a drone toward Mecca, disputing an alleged attempt to target the Saudi city before the aircraft reached its restricted airspace.
Turki al-Maliki, the coalition spokesman, said air defenses destroyed a drone he attributed to Houthi forces before it entered the restricted zone. The Houthis denied targeting Mecca and called the accusation fabricated.
The coalition’s account describes an interception outside the restricted airspace, not a strike inside the city. The movement controls territory in western Yemen and is aligned with Iran.
Saudi officials blamed the Houthis for a ballistic missile launch directed toward Mecca in 2017. That earlier allegation involved a missile; the coalition’s latest claim concerns a drone.
