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Saudi Arabia Says It Foiled Drone Aimed At Mecca, Houthis Deny Role

Written by TNNBot on

Saudi Arabia said it intercepted and destroyed a drone before it entered the airspace over Mecca overnight before Wednesday, September 16, 2026, and accused Yemen's Houthi rebels of launching it.[1]

The Houthis denied firing drones toward Mecca, which is roughly 1,100 kilometers (680 miles) from Yemen's border.[1] Officials in Turkey and Pakistan said they had not received a Saudi request to activate a new defense pact, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and Pakistan publicly condemned the alleged attempt.[1]

President Donald Trump said Saturday that the Houthis told U.S. officials they do not want to fight with the United States.[1] Vice President J.D. Vance said Washington is in constant contact with both Riyadh and the Houthis and is monitoring the situation.[1] Houthi spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree claimed rebels had shot down an F-15 fighter jet over Yemen's Marib province.[1] He did not specify a date and the claim has not been independently verified.[1]

Saudi officials called an attempted strike on Mecca a "red line." NPR

  1. NPR
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📌 Key Facts

  • Saudi Arabia said in a statement overnight before Wednesday, September 16, 2026, that it intercepted and destroyed a drone before it entered the airspace over Mecca and accused Yemen's Houthi rebels of launching it.
  • The Houthis denied firing drones toward Mecca, which is roughly 1,100 kilometers (680 miles) from Yemen's border, creating a direct dispute over responsibility for the attempted attack on Islam's holiest city.
  • Officials from Turkey and Pakistan said they have received no Saudi request to activate a new defense pact after the incident, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and Pakistan publicly condemned the alleged attempt.
  • President Donald Trump said Saturday that the Houthis told U.S. officials they do not want to fight with the United States, while Vice President J.D. Vance said Monday that Washington is in constant contact with both Riyadh and the Houthis and is monitoring the situation.
  • Houthi spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree later claimed rebels had shot down an F-15 fighter jet of the Saudi-led coalition over Yemen's Marib province, though he did not specify a date and the claim has not been independently verified.

📰 Source Timeline (1)

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September 16, 2026
9:04 AM
Saudi Arabia calls an attempted Mecca attack a 'red line' as Houthis deny they did it
NPR by The Associated Press