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Sirens sound in Jeddah and Mecca as Houthis target Saudi Arabia
Iran-backed rebels launch missile and drone attacks as renewed fighting in Yemen forces more than 100,000 people from their homes
Warning sirens have sounded in Jeddah and Mecca as Saudi Arabia faces a new wave of attacks from Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
Emergency alerts were issued in the two cities, as well as Taif, on Tuesday, with people told to seek shelter and stay away from windows and open areas.
The warnings were lifted shortly afterwards, after Saudi authorities said the danger had passed. It was the first such alert in Mecca since the latest escalation with the Houthis began.
Saudi Arabia later said its air defences had intercepted a Houthi drone heading towards Mecca before it entered restricted airspace. The Houthis denied posing any threat to the holy city or other Islamic holy sites.
The alerts came after days of missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia as fighting between the kingdom and the Houthis intensifies.
The Houthis said they had carried out a major attack on King Khalid Air Base in southern Saudi Arabia on Monday using dozens of ballistic missiles and drones.
Thirteen people were injured in attacks in the south of the country on Monday, according to the Saudi-led coalition.
The latest violence comes as the Houthis make significant advances in Yemen, where they have seized territory along the Red Sea coast and strengthened their position around the Bab al-Mandab strait.
The narrow waterway is one of the world’s most important shipping routes, linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
The Houthis, who are backed by Iran, have previously fired missiles and drones at Israel and attacked ships in the Red Sea during the war that followed the Hamas-led 7 October 2023 attacks.
The renewed fighting in Yemen has forced more than 100,000 people from their homes, according to the International Organisation for Migration.
The escalation has also raised fears over global oil supplies, with Saudi infrastructure and shipping routes coming under increasing pressure.
Oil prices have risen above $100 (£74) a barrel amid disruption to Saudi exports and wider fighting across the region.
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