Saudi Arabia warns Mecca, Jeddah of potential Houthi attacks

Saudi Arabia has issued a warning over a possible threat to the cities of Mecca, Jeddah, Taif, Yanbu and Tabuk amid attacks by Yemen’s Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis.

General Directorate of Civil Defence said residents of the affected areas were urged to follow civil defence instructions to protect lives and property, stay away from crowded places, and refrain from taking photographs or filming videos, Caliber.Az reports, citing Turkish media.

Officials later issued another statement saying that the threat had passed.

The Iran-backed Yemeni Ansar Allah movement had earlier accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out drone strikes on Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, and threatened retaliatory action.

Saudi Arabia-led Arab Coalition spokesperson Brigadier General Turki Al-Maliki has announced that six ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis were intercepted and destroyed.

In his words, attacks targeting Taif and Yanbu were also intercepted by air defence systems.

He stressed that they would resolutely counter Houthi attacks.

Fighting between Yemen’s government forces and the Iran-backed Houthis, which intensified in July, has escalated in recent weeks. The Houthis have periodically launched ballistic missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia, claiming that the attacks are in response to Saudi strikes against them.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov