Saudi air defenses intercepted a Houthi-launched unmanned aircraft over the holy city’s province on Thursday, as part of an ongoing series of aerial incursions into the kingdom. The Saudi-led coalition reported that the drone was destroyed before it could reach its target in the Mecca region, though they did not specify whether it was aimed at a particular facility.
The incident followed several other missile threats, including a cruise missile fired toward the western region that disrupted airspace over Jeddah and 2 ballistic missiles targeted at Riyadh. While the shoot-downs in the capital resulted in one minor injury and material damage to a house and a car, the Houthis claimed to have conducted 6 separate military operations targeting the Rabigh and Ras Tanura refineries and international airports. Saudi officials have not independently confirmed all the claims made by the Yemen-based group.