---
title: "Yemen’s Houthis deny launching drone after coalition reports interception in Mecca region"
description: "Yemen's Houthis denied launching any attack towards Saudi Arabia on Friday, after the Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted and destroyed a drone launched by the group over the Mecca region."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "World"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-10-30-yemens-houthis-deny-launching-drone-after-coalition-reports-interception-in-mecca-region/"
published: "2026-10-30T11:13:10"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 96
---

# Yemen’s Houthis deny launching drone after coalition reports interception in Mecca region

> Yemen's Houthis denied launching any attack towards Saudi Arabia on Friday, after the Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted and destroyed a drone launched by the group over the Mecca region.

By Reuters · Published 30 October 2026, 13:13 SAST

## Content

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree dismissed the coalition's account as false in a post on X, saying the group had not carried out any operation towards Saudi territory. He said its operations target Saudi oil facilities and military bases.

The Iran-aligned Houthis have launched a series of cross-border attacks against Saudi Arabia targeting military installations, airports and energy infrastructure.

The group has repeatedly denied targeting Mecca and Medina, Islam's two holiest cities, rejecting previous Saudi-led coalition accusations that it had launched drones towards the cities.

(Reporting by Hatem Maher and Tala Ramadan; Editing by Neil Fullick)