Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence said on Saturday that debris from two ballistic missiles launched by Yemen’s Houthi militia towards the Makkah and Madinah regions fell in several locations after the missiles were intercepted.
Parts of the missiles fell in Wadi Al-Maghmas in Makkah, while shrapnel from the interceptions landed in Al-Nuzha neighbourhood in Jeddah, Wadi Jalil in Taif and Masturah Centre in Rabigh Governorate, the official spokesperson said.
The authorities carried out the approved procedures for such incidents, state news agency SPA reported.
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Following Saudi's announcement of the incident, Yemen’s Houthis denied targeting the holy cities of Mekkah and Medinah, AFP reported.
This is not the first time Saudi Arabia has reported Houthi attacks targeting areas near Islam’s holiest sites.
On October 1, the Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis said the group had attacked the Taibah electricity distribution station in Madinah two days earlier, damaging a transformer but leaving the city’s electricity network unaffected.
The coalition said an investigation and examination of drone wreckage confirmed Houthi involvement in planning and carrying out the attack.
It added that the station supplies electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque, one of Islam’s holiest sites. The Houthis did not immediately comment on the statement.
On September 24, Saudi Arabia said it had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Makkah before it entered the city’s restricted airspace. The coalition described the incident as the Houthis’ second attempt to target Mecca since 2017. The Houthis denied targeting Makkah or any other Islamic holy site.
On the same day, Saudi Civil Defence issued a series of alerts, including one for Mekkah, alongside warnings for Yanbu, Taif, Jeddah and Tabuk.