Saudi Arabia has reported missile-related shrapnel falling at several locations in its western regions, including areas near Mecca and Medina, after its air defences intercepted ballistic missiles allegedly launched by Yemen’s Houthi movement. The Houthis have denied targeting Islam’s two holiest cities, describing the Saudi claims as false.
Saudi Arabia’s General Directorate of Civil Defence said on Saturday that fragments from two ballistic missiles fell in several locations across the Mecca and Medina regions. According to the agency, the debris landed in Wadi Mughamas outside Mecca, the Al-Nuzha neighbourhood in Jeddah, Wadi Jalil in Taif and an uninhabited area in Rabigh.
One of the debris sites was reportedly located around 21 kilometres from the Grand Mosque (Masjid al-Haram) in Mecca. According to a report by Siasat, fragments from an intercepted missile fell in Wadi Al-Mughammas, near the holy city. The location is also approximately 16 kilometres from Mina and seven kilometres from Arafat, two important sites associated with the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Saudi authorities reported debris at the site following the interception of two ballistic missiles. However, the missiles’ alleged targets remain disputed, as the Houthis have denied targeting Mecca and Medina
In a statement posted on X, the agency attributed the missiles to what it described as the “terrorist Houthi militia”. It did not report any confirmed casualties in the statement cited.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree rejected the allegation that the group had targeted Mecca or Medina. He described Saudi Arabia’s claims as a “great and huge lie”, denying that the movement had directed attacks towards the holy sites.
Earlier on Saturday, Saudi Civil Defence warned of potential danger in four western provinces, including the Mecca region, and advised residents to move to the nearest safe location.
The developments followed claims by the Houthis that they had carried out attacks on several Saudi targets on Friday and Saturday. Saree said the group targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh in two phases, as well as airports in the Dammam and Najran regions.
He also claimed that the movement had targeted the Khamis Mushait air base in southern Saudi Arabia, along with crude oil pumping stations and the east-to-west oil pipeline. These claims have not been independently verified.
Separately, Yemen’s Saudi-backed government said on Saturday that the Houthis had fired three ballistic missiles at coast guard facilities in the southern port city of Aden.
The escalation threatens to undermine the relative calm established by a United Nations-mediated truce in 2022, which had largely limited cross-border attacks between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis.
Saudi Arabia supports Yemen’s internationally recognised government, while the Houthis continue to control the capital, Sanaa, and other parts of the country. The latest developments raise concerns about a renewed escalation in the prolonged conflict and its potential consequences for regional security.
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