WorldPolitics
Saudi-led coalition accuses Houthis of targeting Mecca; rebels deny claim
The Saudi-led coalition says it shot down a Houthi drone heading toward Mecca and warned of a 'red line.' The Houthis rejected the report as a 'lie.' The exchange comes amid fresh fighting and a Houthi maritime blockade on Saudi shipping.
The Saudi-led coalition battling Yemen's Houthi rebels accused the group on Wednesday of targeting Mecca, Islam's holiest city, with a drone. The coalition said it shot down the drone. The accusation sparked outrage across the Muslim world and deepened the conflict roiling the region, according to the coalition's account. Saudi Arabia warned of a "red line."
The Houthis swiftly rejected Riyadh's report as a "lie." They denied that a drone from the rebels had been shot down while heading toward Saudi Arabia.
Fresh fighting between the Iran-backed Houthis and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government has drawn Riyadh into the conflict. The Houthis have declared a maritime blockade on the kingdom and targeted its ships in the Red Sea.
Last week, the Houthis seized control of Yemen's entire Red Sea coast and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a vital artery for Saudi oil exports, according to the report. The wider Middle East war has choked off the Strait of Hormuz, another strategic shipping route, the report said.
- Houthi rebels
- Saudi-Houthis Conflict
From
WorldPolitics
Saudi-led coalition accuses Houthis of targeting Mecca; rebels deny claim
The Saudi-led coalition says it shot down a Houthi drone heading toward Mecca and warned of a 'red line.' The Houthis rejected the report as a 'lie.' The exchange comes amid fresh fighting and a Houthi maritime blockade on Saudi shipping.
The Saudi-led coalition battling Yemen's Houthi rebels accused the group on Wednesday of targeting Mecca, Islam's holiest city, with a drone. The coalition said it shot down the drone. The accusation sparked outrage across the Muslim world and deepened the conflict roiling the region, according to the coalition's account. Saudi Arabia warned of a "red line."
The Houthis swiftly rejected Riyadh's report as a "lie." They denied that a drone from the rebels had been shot down while heading toward Saudi Arabia.
Fresh fighting between the Iran-backed Houthis and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government has drawn Riyadh into the conflict. The Houthis have declared a maritime blockade on the kingdom and targeted its ships in the Red Sea.
Last week, the Houthis seized control of Yemen's entire Red Sea coast and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a vital artery for Saudi oil exports, according to the report. The wider Middle East war has choked off the Strait of Hormuz, another strategic shipping route, the report said.
- Houthi rebels
- Saudi-Houthis Conflict
From