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- Coalition spokesperson says Houthi drone was intercepted, destroyed, while group claims it 'has not carried out any operation today (Friday) targeting Saudi territory'
ADDS MORE DETAILS WITH HOUTHI STATEMENT; CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE
By Serdar Dincel
ISTANBUL (AA) - The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen announced on Friday that it intercepted and destroyed a drone launched by the Houthi group toward Saudi Arabia's Mecca region, while the group denied launching the drone.
"A drone launched by the Houthi terrorist militia was intercepted and destroyed in the Makkah region," coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki wrote on X.
For his part, Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said on Telegram that the group “has not carried out any operation today (Friday) targeting Saudi territory."
“The Saudi enemy’s claim of intercepting a drone in the airspace over Mecca is a massive and egregious falsehood,” Saree claimed.
The latest statements from both sides come after al-Maliki said earlier Friday that the coalition's air defenses intercepted and destroyed a Houthi cruise missile that targeted western Saudi Arabia.
The developments come amid escalating hostilities between the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis, with both sides reporting military operations and attacks in recent days.
The Houthis also announced Thursday that they had carried out six attacks against targets in Saudi Arabia, including oil facilities and airports.
The Saudi-led coalition has been involved in Yemen’s conflict since March 2015, supporting the internationally recognized government against the Houthis, who seized the capital Sanaa in September 2014.
