Mecca Put On Air Raid Alert For 1st Time, Saudi Warns Houthis Of 'Red Line'

Several areas on Saudi Arabia's western coast, including the holy city of Mecca and the Jeddah and Taif governorates, were briefly put on alert after Yemen's Houthis allegedly targeted the holy city, deepening the conflict roiling the region. It was the first time in history when an aerial threat alert was issued in Mecca.

The unprecedented alert was triggered after the kingdom's air defences intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca before it entered the prohibited airspace. Fresh fighting between the Iran-backed Houthis and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government has dragged in Riyadh, with the Houthis declaring a maritime blockade on the kingdom and targeting its ships in the Red Sea.