The Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen claimed on Wednesday that it had downed a Saudi fighter jet, as Saudi Arabia accused it of firing a drone near the Muslim holy city of Mecca, in what would be a sharp escalation of hostilities.
A spokesman for the Houthi military, Yahya Saree, said on social media that the group had shot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet over Yemeni territory using a locally made missile.
The Saudi authorities did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The claim was made hours after Saudi Arabia said it had shot down a Houthi drone outside Mecca. Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki, the spokesman for the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen, said that in a statement on social media.
The drone was intercepted and destroyed south of Mecca on Tuesday as it headed toward prohibited airspace over the city, he added.
Mr. Saree strongly denied that the Houthis had targeted Mecca, dismissing the Saudi allegation as “fabrication and lies” and saying that there was “no threat whatsoever to the holy sites from Yemen.”
The simmering conflict in Yemen between the Houthis and the internationally recognized government that is supported by Saudi Arabia has returned to war in recent days, further threatening stability in a Middle East that was already dealing with the U.S.-Iran war.
Mecca, the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad, is the holiest site for Muslims. More than 1.7 million pilgrims, most of them from overseas, visited the city this year for the annual pilgrimage known as the hajj, according to Saudi government data.
The Houthi drone was “an attempt to terrorize the pilgrims visiting the Holy Mosque and to harm citizens and residents,” General Al-Maliki said, adding that the security of the pilgrims and sacred mosques was a “red line.”
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation, a 57-member coalition that considers itself the collective voice of the Muslim world, condemned the alleged attack as well as the Houthis’ wider strikes against Saudi Arabia.
“These attacks instill fear in innocent civilians, violate the sanctity of holy sites and mosques, and provoke the sentiments of Muslims around the world,” the group said on social media on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan also spoke out against the apparent attack on Mecca, saying on social media that the people of Pakistan were “saddened and perturbed by this outrageous act.”
Vivian Nereim contributed reporting from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
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