Mecca Airstrike Alert: On Tuesday (September 15, 2026), Saudi Civil Defense issued an alert in several cities on the country's west coast, including the holy city of Mecca and the Jeddah and Taif areas, but these were soon lifted. For the first time in history, an airstrike alert was issued in Mecca. This unprecedented alert was issued after Iran-backed Houthis repeatedly targeted Saudi Arabia in recent days.
According to a report in Israeli newspaper 'Hayom', air flights going to Medina's Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport (MED) were also stopped. The report said that earlier, the Saudi-backed and internationally recognized Yemeni government and Saudi forces had attacked targets near Taiz city of Yemen.
Why was the alert issued?
The alert was issued a day after the Houthis used ballistic missiles and drones from Yemen to injure 13 people in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Civil Defense Directorate, in a post on social media platform X, alerted that the danger in Mecca city has been averted. For your safety, keep following the instructions of Civil Defense and avoid creating crowd or making videos. In case of emergency call (911). Saudi Civil Defense had earlier issued air strike alerts in six areas for some time.
What do the Houthis say?
A Houthi official has rejected a report by the Saudi-led coalition that it had shot down a rebel drone heading towards Mecca, Islam's holiest city. Hazem al-Assad of the Houthis' Politburo wrote on the social media platform X that the claims of targeting Mecca are an old lie that has been used before and can no longer fool anyone.
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How long has the Saudi-Huthi conflict been going on?
The Houthis this week launched their biggest missile and drone attack against Saudi Arabia in years, setting oil facilities on fire and injuring 73 people. According to two military sources on Monday, eight government soldiers were killed in a Houthi attack in western Yemen. The group also claimed a new large-scale attack using dozens of ballistic missiles and drones against the King Khalid airbase in Khamis Mushait, southern Saudi Arabia.
The Houthis have been fighting Saudi-backed government forces since the resumption of Yemen's civil war in July; Meanwhile, the group announced a maritime blockade on Riyadh and started targeting its ships in the Red Sea.
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