THE Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has said that it shot down a Houthi drone near Mecca, Islam’s holiest city, on Tuesday, triggering swift regional condemnation of the Iran-backed Yemeni group. Turki Al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led Coalition Forces, accused the Houthis of targeting the holy city and said it was the first such alleged attempt against Mecca in almost a decade.

Earlier this week, the Houthis launched ballistic missiles and drones towards several Saudi cities, including Khamis Mushait, Abha and Taif, reportedly injuring 13 civilians. The Houthis, however, categorically denied the Saudi allegation on Wednesday, accusing Riyadh of making “false accusations.” Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree maintained that the........

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