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King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud denounced the Houthi terrorist militia’s latest attempt to target Makkah during a cabinet session he chaired in Jeddah, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The monarch labeled the drone attack a violation of the sanctity of Islam’s holiest sites that provoked the sentiments of Muslims worldwide while praising Saudi armed forces and security services for intercepting the threat and defending the kingdom. He noted that the assault had elicited widespread international condemnation and reaffirmed the country’s commitment to protecting pilgrims and the Two Holy Mosques.
The Coalition Joint Forces Command stated that Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces intercepted and destroyed a hostile drone launched by the Houthis on September 15 before it entered restricted airspace over the holy city. The drone was brought down in southern Makkah in what the command described as a deliberate act intended to terrorize Umrah performers and harm residents near the Grand Mosque. This incident marked the second Houthi attempt to strike Makkah, following a ballistic missile launch on July 27, 2017, that was similarly neutralized by Saudi defenses.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement condemning the September 15 attack as a cowardly terrorist act that repeats the militia’s pattern of targeting and violating holy sites. The ministry called on the international community to firmly denounce these assaults on the kingdom’s civilian and economic facilities as well as threats to maritime navigation in the Red Sea. It reiterated the kingdom’s legitimate right to take all necessary measures to safeguard its territory, citizens, residents and visitors to the holy cities.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation condemned the Houthi actions against Makkah, declaring that such attacks violate the sanctity of holy sites and provoke the sentiments of Muslims globally. The Muslim World League described the incidents as a flagrant breach of Islamic values and basic humanitarian principles while highlighting the suffering inflicted on the Yemeni people by the militia. Multiple nations including Türkiye and Lebanon expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia, with Turkish and Lebanese officials denouncing the drone launch as an affront to the Qiblah of more than two billion Muslims.
King Salman expressed gratitude for divine blessings on the kingdom and its role in serving the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah as Saudi Arabia prepares to mark its National Day. The cabinet session reviewed a range of domestic and regional issues, including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s recent visit to Egypt where discussions with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi focused on strengthening bilateral ties. Officials emphasized ongoing cooperation across economic, political and security fields during that trip.
