Drone shot down near Mecca as Middle East conflict escalates; Anwar expresses 'grave concern'

Saudi Arabia's air defences told Reuters they had intercepted and shot down a Houthi drone south of Mecca on Tuesday (Sept 15) before it could enter the restricted airspace over the holy city.

The security of Islam's two holiest sites and the safety of pilgrims was a "red line," coalition spokesperson Turki al-Malki from Saudi Arabia told Reuters on Wednesday, adding that the coalition would take necessary deterrent measures against the Houthis.

Mecca is Islam's holiest city and the destination of the annual haj pilgrimage, which draws millions of Muslims from around the world.

Malki said the incident marked the second alleged Houthi attempt to target Mecca, after a ballistic missile launch in July 2017, according to Reuters.

Saudi Arabia issued security alerts in several parts of the kingdom on Tuesday, including in Mecca and other cities, Reuters reported.

The Houthis have denied targeting Mecca, according to Reuters.

The Iran-backed group has reportedly fired repeatedly into Saudi Arabia over the past week, triggering alerts across cities in the kingdom's south and west and drawing Riyadh deeper into the widening Middle East conflict.

An attack by Iran-aligned fighters in Iraq last week also reportedly disrupted Saudi Arabia's East-West Pipeline, the main route used to divert oil exports away from the blockaded Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile, Houthi military ​spokesman Yahya Saree told Reuters that the Houthis had shot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet, although Reuters added that no evidence was presented and Saudi ⁠officials have not responded to emails seeking comment.

Saree added that the Saudis have carried out as many as 450 air strikes on Yemen this week.

Officials from Yemen's Saudi-backed government, which controls the country's south, have acknowledged that airstrikes are being conducted against Houthi positions, although Riyadh has not publicly confirmed the figure.

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has reportedly travelled to Egypt to speak with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on Tuesday.

He also spoke by phone with US President Donald Trump last week to seek military support, although Reuters reported that Washington's assistance has so far been limited to intelligence sharing.

'Grave concern'

Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has weighed in on the drone incident on social media on Sept 16.

Ibrahim wrote that he viewed the reports with "grave concern".

"Any attempt to threaten the safety and sanctity of Islam's holiest city would be wholly unacceptable," he wrote. 

He expressed Malaysia's "deep appreciation" for Saudi Arabia's "swift action" to protect residents and pilgrims in Mecca. 

"This incident underscores the urgent need to prevent further escalation in the region," he added.

View on Threads

In a subsequent post, Ibrahim said: "Malaysia calls for an immediate end to attacks on civilian sites and to any action that could endanger holy sites. We urge the relevant parties to exercise restraint and pursue a peaceful resolution through dialogue without delay."

[[nid:745215]]

laili.abdeen@asiaone.com