Houthis Accused of Targeting Mecca in Latest Escalation

Saudi Arabia accused the Houthi group of launching an airstrike on Mecca, Islam's holiest city. The Saudi air defense forces intercepted a Houthi drone in the airspace south of Mecca, destroying it before it could reach the city.

Maj. Gen. Turki al Maliki, a Royal Saudi Air Force spokesman, said that the city and its holy mosques are a 'red line' in the conflict. He warned that the Saudis would not be deterred from taking next steps to prevent another attack from the Yemen-based terrorist group.

This is the Houthis' second known attack on Mecca, according to the Saudi Gazette. The Houthis have been escalating tensions with the Saudis in recent weeks, including striking a key East-West oil pipeline and seizing several islands in the Red Sea.