Houthi attack reaches Mecca for first time as Yemen war escalates

Saudi Arabia said Wednesday that its air defenses intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone before it could enter the airspace over Mecca, with the Iran-backed Houthi militia group rejecting the claim as "an worn-out lie," as fighting reaches the holy city for the first time in the ongoing conflict.

Turki al-Malki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition which has battled the Houthis since 2015, described the attack as "a deliberate act intended to provoke the feelings of millions of Muslims," and said the holy city's security is a "red line."

Mecca is Islam's holiest site and the focal point of the annual Hajj pilgrimage.

The Houthis rejected the Saudi statement, with spokesperson Hazem al-Assad saying : "The claims about targeting Mecca are a worn-out lie that has been used before and no longer fools anyone."