Saudi coalition says Houthi drone heading for Mecca was intercepted

Saudi air defences intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca before it entered the prohibited airspace of the holy city the Saudiled coalition saidCoalition spokesman Turki Al Maliki said the security of the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims is a red line adding that the coalition would not hesitate to take necessary measures to deter further Houthi attacksAn official from the Houthis rejected the allegation on WednesdayThe claims about targeting Mecca are a wornout lie that has been used before and no longer fools anyone Hazem alAssad wrote on XMeanwhile Houthis said on Tuesday that Saudi warplanes had carried out 52 airstrikes across five provinces over the past 24 hours as crossborder hostilities between the two sides continued to escalateHouthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a statement posted on social media platform X that F15 and Typhoon fighter jets carried out the strikes after taking off from air bases in the southwestern Saudi city of Khamis Mushait and the western city of TaifSarea said the strikes hit the southwestern province of Taiz northern AlJawf central AlBayda and the northern provinces of Saada and Amran He alleged that schools bridges roads and other civilian infrastructure were among the targetsSarea said the strikes will not go unanswered suggesting further Houthi retaliation against Saudi ArabiaThere was no immediate comment from Saudi authorities on the Houthi claimsSeparately Houthirun alMasirah TV said on Tuesday that 3 civilians including 2 children were killed and 2 others wounded in airstrikes on the Dhubab and Maqbanah districts of Taiz provinceThe broadcaster also reported further strikes on Tuesday on a government complex in Khadir district southeast of Taiz province saying there were casualties without providing further detailsThe strikes followed Houthi missile and drone attacks on Khamis Mushait Abha and Taif on Monday which the Saudiled coalition said injured 13 civilians The coalition vowed a responsible and firm responseThe crossborder escalation comes amid a Houthi offensive launched on September 3 that has shifted front lines along Yemens Red Sea coast The group captured the strategic port city of Mocha on September 10 before advancing into the Bab alMandab area and seizing Mayun Island at the heart of the strait on September 11Yemens conflict erupted in late 2014 when the Houthis seized Sanaa and much of northern Yemen prompting a Saudiled coalition to intervene in March 2015 in support of the internationally recognised governmentThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever