Houthi Attacks Reach Mecca, Exposing Limits of Saudi Defense Pact with Turkey and Pak
The attacks injured 13 people and damaged seven homes, while Saudi Arabia’s new defense pact with Turkey and Pakistan has yet to bring military support.
- On Tuesday, Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia escalated, triggering alerts in Mecca, Jeddah, and Taif after missile and drone strikes on Monday wounded 13 civilians in the kingdom's south.
- These attacks test a defense pact signed last month by Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, under which an attack on one member is considered an attack on all three.
- Dr. Yoel Guzansky, a former Israeli National Security Council official and senior researcher at Israel's Institute for National Security Studies, said the Mecca alerts carried "unusual symbolic significance" and claimed Turkey and Pakistan were "making excuses."
- The confrontation follows the collapse of a four-year truce, with Houthi forces seizing the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait as the UN refugee agency reported on Tuesday that more than 100,000 people are now displaced within Yemen.
- Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is now seeking support from Egypt and President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi as the pact falters, while Houthi control of vital Red Sea shipping lanes threatens regional energy security.
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Saudi Arabia has promised on Tuesday 15 September to respond "strongly" after further attacks by the Yemeni Houthis. These pro-Iranian rebels are continuing their offensive to consolidate their control of the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a strategic territory for world trade. A risk-of-attack alert was issued for the holy city of Mecca, a first.
An airstrike was declared in the Muslim holy city of Mecca on Tuesday due to attacks in Saudi Arabia, with the country's civil defense agency urging residents to remain calm and follow government instructions.
Saudi Arabia Issues Mecca Alert Amid Houthi Strikes, Red Sea Advance
Saudi Arabia has issued an emergency alert across Mecca, Jeddah, and Taif following warnings of potential aerial threats amid a fresh wave of Houthi missile and drone strikes. Residents in Mecca were advised to remain indoors, avoid windows, and move to safe locations. The escalating conflict is further compounded by Houthi forces capturing key locations along the Red Sea, including Mocha, Dubab, Perim Island, and the Hanish Islands, tightening …
Alarms Sound in Islam's Holiest City, Mecca, as Houthi Campaign Against Saudi Arabia Continues
The Iran-backed Houthi insurgents of Yemen continued attacking targets in Saudi Arabia on Monday, prompting Saudi authorities to issue civil defense alerts in several southern cities — including, for the first time, the Muslim holy city of Mecca.
Riyadh issued several risk of attack warnings on Tuesday, including one for Mecca, the holy city of Islam.
Saudi Arabia is currently being attacked from the south and from the north, apparently Shiite militias in Iraq support the Houthis. For the first time, the authorities also issue warnings again in Mecca. In the UN Security Council there is an emergency meeting because of the rebels.
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