Drone strike near Mecca ‘regarding’: India condemns attacks on Saudi Arabia – What did MEA say? | Today’s news
India on Wednesday expressed concern over a drone strike near Mecca and reiterated its disapproval of any attacks on Saudi Arabia’s sovereign territory, stressing that such incidents threaten civilian lives and critical infrastructure.
New Delhi called for the early restoration of peace and stability in the region.
Responding to media queries on the incident, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “We are deeply concerned about the drone strike near Makkah. India again condemns attacks on the sovereign territory of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and actions that threaten civilian lives and infrastructure.”
Jaiswal added: “The incident near Mecca is particularly disturbing, given the city’s special significance for Muslims around the world.”
“We hope for the early restoration of peace and stability in the region,” the MEA spokesman added.
Saudi coalition calls security of holy sites ‘red line’
The Saudi-led coalition warned earlier on Wednesday that the security of Islam’s two holiest sites remains a “red line” after Saudi air defenses intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Makkah Al-Mukarramah, commonly known as Makkah.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the coalition said the Royal Saudi Air Defense Force detected and intercepted the drone on Tuesday evening before it could enter the restricted airspace around Mecca.
Coalition spokesman Major General Turki Al-Malki described the incident as a “hostile and terrorist act” and said the drone was launched by what he described as the “Houthi terrorist militia”.
“The security of the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims is a red line,” Al-Malki said, adding that the coalition’s joint force command “will not hesitate to take necessary and deterrent measures” against the Houthi movement.
The coalition said the incident marked the second reported attempt to hit Mecca, citing an earlier incident involving a ballistic missile on July 27, 2017.
Al-Malki described the latest incident as an attempt to target “the birthplace of revelation, the land of the message and the destination that attracts the hearts of millions of Muslims around the world”, saying he also sought to spread fear among pilgrims and endanger citizens and residents.
The Houthis reject targeting Mecca and reject Saudi Arabia’s accusations
Meanwhile, Yemen’s Houthi movement on Wednesday denied Saudi Arabia’s claim that it had launched a drone towards the holy city of Mecca, calling the allegations “fabrications and lies”. The group said its operations target Saudi military and oil facilities located far from Islamic holy sites.
In a statement shared on Telegram, Houthi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree accused the Saudi Al Saud regime of trying to deceive the public and rejected claims that the group poses any threat to the holy sites.
Saree said the Houthi operations were targeting “its oil facilities and military bases, which are far from the holy sites”.
