Drone shot down near Mecca, first emergency alert in Saudi Arabia, 500 killed in Yemen

Tension in the Middle East has taken a more dangerous turn. Military confrontation between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthi rebels has escalated, and an attempt was made to attack Mecca, Islam's holiest city, with a drone. According to Saudi Arabia's air defence force, an explosive-laden drone heading toward Mecca from the direction of Yemen was intercepted in time and destroyed in the air.

Saudi army spokesman Major General Turki al-Malki gave the official account of the incident. He said an unidentified drone was spotted hovering over the southern part of Mecca city at around 6:50 pm on September 15. The Saudi air defence system acted immediately and shot down the drone before it could enter Mecca's restricted and secure airspace. Saudi authorities described the incident as the second major attempt to target Mecca. In 2017 as well, Saudi Arabia had accused Houthi rebels of firing a ballistic missile toward Mecca, though the Houthis had denied the allegation at the time.

As a precaution after the incident, Saudi civil defence issued an emergency alert in three major cities: Mecca, Jeddah and Taif. This is the first time such a threat alert has been issued in Mecca since the current Middle East war began. Authorities urged people to move to safe places immediately, remain calm, and avoid open areas, windows, balconies or rooftops. The alert was withdrawn a short while later after the entire area was confirmed safe.

The incident near Mecca is part of the intense war under way in Yemen. Fighting between Houthi rebels and Saudi-backed government forces in Yemen has suddenly intensified sharply. According to the latest reports, more than 500 people have been killed in the fighting. The frightening conditions of war have forced more than 94,000 Yemeni civilians to flee their homes. Thousands are heading toward southern Yemen for safety, while more than 2,000 civilians have reached Djibouti by sea seeking refuge.

Military action and sirens near a religious centre like Mecca, a place of faith for hundreds of millions of Muslims worldwide, are being seen as an extremely serious development. The incident has heightened tension across the Middle East, and calls for peace are being made at the international level.