RIYADH/SANAA/CAIRO/WASHINGTON – Saudi air defenses intercepted a drone launched by the Houthi group south of Mecca before it entered the prohibited airspace of the holy city, authorities said on Wednesday.

The drone was destroyed by the Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces at 6:50 pm local time (1550 GMT) on Tuesday, Turki Al-Malki, spokesperson for the coalition supporting the internationally recognized Yemeni government, said in an X post.

Al-Malki said the incident marked the second attempt to target Mecca, following a previous attempt involving a ballistic missile in July 2017.

He stressed that the security of the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims is a "red line," adding that the coalition would take necessary measures against the Houthi group.

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The Organization of Islamic Cooperation condemned the attack in a statement, saying the attacks threatened civilians and violated the sanctity of holy sites and mosques.

Attacks against holy sites, mosques and civilian infrastructure constitute terrorism that runs counter to Islamic values and international norms, principles and law, it said.

An official from the Houthis rejected the allegation on Wednesday.

"The claims about targeting Mecca are a worn-out lie that has been used before and no longer fools anyone," Hazem al-Assad wrote on X.

Houthis say they shot down Saudi F-15 over Yemen's Marib

In Sanaa, Yemen's Houthi group said Wednesday that it had shot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet over the northeastern province of Marib, as hostilities between the two sides entered a new phase of intensified air operations and cross-border attacks.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a statement carried by Houthi-run al-Masirah TV that the fighter jet was struck by a locally manufactured surface-to-air missile while conducting "hostile operations" in support of Saudi-backed Yemeni forces in Marib.

Sarea said Houthi forces subsequently fired locally made air-defense missiles at two formations of Saudi F-15 and Typhoon fighter jets that entered Marib's airspace to search for the wreckage of the downed aircraft, forcing them to retreat.

ALSO READ: Houthis seize Yemen's entire western coast after taking Bab al-Mandab Strait area

There was no immediate comment from Saudi authorities on the Houthi statement, and the reported downing of the aircraft could not be independently verified.

Sarea also said that Saudi F-15 and Typhoon fighter jets had carried out more than 450 airstrikes across seven Yemeni provinces over the past week, causing civilian casualties. He did not provide an overall casualty figure.

He said the group would continue using "all available means" against what it considers "violations of Yemen's airspace and sovereignty."

Separately, al-Masirah TV said on Tuesday that 3 civilians, including 2 children, were killed and 2 others wounded in airstrikes on the Dhubab and Maqbanah districts of Taiz province.

The broadcaster also reported further strikes on Tuesday on a government complex in Khadir district, southeast of Taiz province, saying there were casualties without providing further details.

The strikes followed Houthi missile and drone attacks on Khamis Mushait, Abha and Taif on Monday, which the Saudi-led coalition said injured 13 civilians. The coalition vowed a "responsible and firm" response.

The cross-border escalation comes amid a Houthi offensive launched on Sept 3 that has shifted front lines along Yemen's Red Sea coast. The group captured the strategic port city of Mocha on Sept 10 before advancing into the Bab al-Mandab area and seizing Mayun Island at the heart of the strait on Sept 11.

Yemen's conflict erupted in late 2014 when the Houthis seized Sanaa and much of northern Yemen, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in March 2015 in support of the internationally recognized government.

Egyptian president, Saudi crown prince meet over ties, regional security

In Cairo, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi on Tuesday met with Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to discuss ties and regional security.

During the talk, the two leaders agreed to advance bilateral cooperation and remove obstacles hindering their increased trade and investment flows, according to an official statement from the Egyptian Presidency.

Sisi expressed Egypt's rejection and condemnation of any attacks or threats that undermine Saudi Arabia's sovereignty, stability, and territorial integrity, the statement read.

READ MORE: Yemeni govt forces say over 500 soldiers killed during Houthi west coast offensive

He reiterated Egypt's support for the measures taken by the kingdom to safeguard its security, as well as for efforts to reach a comprehensive and sustainable political solution to the crisis in Yemen, it said.

The Saudi crown prince, for his part, praised Egypt's support for regional stability and peace and its solidarity with the Kingdom amid recent geopolitical challenges, it added.

The meeting came amid the escalating cross-border confrontation between Yemen's Houthi group and Saudi Arabia.

US urges citizens to reconsider travel to Saudi Arabia

Also on Tuesday, the US State Department urged American citizens to reconsider travel to Saudi Arabia, citing heightened security risks amid Iranian drone and missile attacks.

A travel advisory issued by the department warned of the "risk of Iranian drone and missile targeting of American interests, armed conflict, terrorism, exit bans and local laws regarding social media activity."

"Following the onset of hostilities between the United States and Iran on Feb 28, 2026, there has been an ongoing threat of drone and missile attacks from Iran," it said.

The advisory came after Riyadh issued alerts in Mecca and other areas amid alleged Houthi attacks.

Riyadh said it intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca on Tuesday evening before it entered the prohibited airspace of the holy city. The Houthis later denied the allegation.

The Houthis "have threatened to attack Saudi Arabia again," the advisory said, adding that falling debris from intercepted drones and missiles is also a risk.

"US citizens living and working near energy infrastructure and military bases may be at increased risk, especially closer to the border with Yemen," it said, designating the Yemen border region as Level 4 "Do not travel," the highest advisory level due to "life-threatening risks."