Houthi missiles intercepted over Mecca region as Saudi-Yemen conflict escalates
Photo: ABNA — the Grand Mosque in Mecca (file photo)Saudi air defences intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by Yemen's Houthi movement toward the Mecca region on Wednesday, with debris falling within miles of the Grand Mosque, Saudi Arabia's Civil Defence said, in the latest escalation of a conflict that has flared again this year.
The missiles were launched toward the region and intercepted and destroyed, the Civil Defence said in a statement. Debris came down in several locations, including Sabuhah village, about 35 km (22 miles) northeast of the Grand Mosque, and Wadi al-Maghmas, about 21 km east of the mosque, according to Saudi state television. No casualties were reported.
"This hostile targeting of civilian objects constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and reflects the dangerous hostile approach pursued by the Houthi militia," Saudi Arabia's Civil Defence said early on Thursday.
The Houthis have repeatedly denied Saudi accusations that they target Mecca and Medina, Islam's two holiest cities, saying their military operations are directed at military and strategic targets elsewhere in Saudi Arabia. A Houthi spokesperson said on Wednesday that a drone had been aimed at a pumping station in Yanbu, on the Red Sea, and that Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport had been targeted with three cruise missiles. The group has yet to comment on the latest incident, according to Reuters.
Saudi-led coalition forces said they had intercepted three cruise missiles launched towards Riyadh, along with drones launched towards Mecca and Saudi Arabia's southern regions.
The Houthis seized Yemen's capital, Sanaa, in 2014, prompting Saudi Arabia to intervene militarily the following year in support of the internationally recognised government. A UN-brokered truce in 2022 largely froze the conflict, but hostilities resumed earlier this year, with the Houthis launching missile and drone attacks on Saudi territory and Riyadh carrying out airstrikes in Yemen. The latest escalation has threatened the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key shipping route linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
Casualties from the fighting in Yemen have risen sharply, to 11,755, including 2,098 killed and 9,657 wounded, as of November 8, according to the World Health Organization.
Sources: Reuters, "Saudi Arabia says debris from intercepted missiles falls in Mecca region" (Nov. 12, 2026, full text verified); Barbados Gazette, "Fighting intensifies in Yemen as Houthis deny targeting Mecca" (Nov. 12, 2026); Pakistan Point, citing Reuters and the Saudi Press Agency (Nov. 12, 2026).
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