Saudi Arabia issues emergency alert over potential danger in Makkah
text_fields
Saudi Arabia's Civil Defence on Tuesday, September 15, issued a brief hostile aerial attack warning for Makkah, advising residents of possible danger.
It was the first such alert sent to the holy city through the National Early Warning Platform for Emergency Cases.
Authorities also issued alerts for Jeddah Governorate and Taif Governorate, urging residents to move indoors to safe locations and stay away from windows and doors until the danger had passed.
The Civil Defence said the danger had passed in all affected areas within minutes and urged residents to continue following the instructions issued in the alerts. People were also advised to avoid gatherings and filming and to call 911 in case of an emergency.
A similar alert had earlier been issued for Jeddah and Taif, as well as Abha, Jazan Province, Al Ula Governorate and Yanbu.
Residents were instructed to remain indoors and stay away from open areas, windows, glass, balconies and rooftops while the warning remained in effect. Those outdoors were advised to enter the nearest building or seek shelter behind a solid barrier.
The latest alerts came amid a wider escalation in the Saudi-Houthi conflict, which intensified in July after about four years of relative calm following the 2022 UN-brokered truce.
On July 13, the runway at Houthi-controlled Sanaa International Airport was struck as an Iranian aircraft carrying a Houthi delegation was due to land after the group attended the funeral of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Yemen's internationally recognised government claimed responsibility for the operation, while the Houthis blamed Saudi Arabia and declared that the period of de-escalation was over.
Tensions have continued to rise since then.
On September 11, Saudi Arabia shut its 1,200-kilometre East-West oil pipeline after it was targeted in attacks, describing the closure as a precautionary measure. Riyadh blamed the attack on Iranian-backed militias in Iraq rather than the Houthis.
The pipeline connects Saudi oil-producing areas near the Gulf with Yanbu on the Red Sea and provides an alternative export route when the Strait of Hormuz is disrupted.
On September 12, a projectile launched by Yemen's Houthis landed in Al-Tuwal Governorate in Saudi Arabia's Jazan region, injuring two people and damaging a mosque, several buildings and vehicles, according to Saudi Civil Defence.
The situation escalated further on September 14, when the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen said Houthi forces attacked civilian objects in Khamis Mushait, Abha and Taif using ballistic missiles and drones.
Coalition spokesperson Major General Turki Al-Maliki said 13 civilians suffered minor to moderate injuries, while seven residential homes and two vehicles were damaged. Saudi Arabia vowed to respond firmly to further attacks.
The latest exchanges have taken place alongside rapid Houthi advances along Yemen's western coast. The group has captured Perim Island near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and, on September 14, took control of the Greater and Lesser Hanish Islands.
The territorial gains have strengthened the Houthis' position around the strategically important Red Sea shipping route.
The Houthis have also claimed that Saudi warplanes carried out 300 air raids across Yemen over five days. Saudi and allied Yemeni forces have increased bombardment of Houthi positions, including areas around the Red Sea port of Mocha, as the wider conflict continues to intensify.