Saudi Arabia Says Houthi Drone Debris Killed One, Injured Two

India had expressed concern at the drone attack on September 16. 'The incident near Makkah is particularly concerning, given the special significance of the city to Muslims across the world,' the MEA had said.

The Wire Staff

saudi arabia says houthi drone debris killed one injured two

This photo provided by the Saudi Press Agency shows firefighters inspecting damage to a building caused by falling debris from a drone that Saudi authorities said was launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels and intercepted over Taif province, western Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. Photo: Saudi Press Agency via AP.

New Delhi: Saudi Arabia said debris from an intercepted Houthi drone killed one person, while the leader of the group called for protests and said the kingdom committed a “monstrous fabrication” when it accused the rebels of trying to attack Islam's holiest city, Makkah.

India had expressed concern at the drone attack on September 16. In response to media queries on the attack near Makkah, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, in addition to concern, that "India reiterates its condemnation of attacks on the sovereign territory of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and of actions that endanger civilian lives and infrastructure."

"The incident near Makkah is particularly concerning, given the special significance of the city to Muslims across the world," the MEA added.

Saudi civil defence was quoted as having said a day ago that debris from an intercepted Houthi drone killed one person and injured two others in Saudi Arabia's Taif province.

The latest statement didn't indicate when this happened, though Saudi Arabia had said on September 16 that it had stopped a drone aimed at Makkah, Islam’s holiest city.

The two people injured are a Saudi woman and a Pakistani resident who is in critical condition, the civil defence said in an update on X.

The Houthis are fighting the internationally recognised government in Yemen, which is backed by Saudi Arabia and deny targeting Makkah.

In a televised speech, Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi called for an end to Saudi Arabia’s blockade of Yemen.

Al-Houthi denounced as an “utterly heinous lie” that the Houthis had attempted to target Makkah. He called for mass protests today in Sanaa and Houthi-controlled areas to show support for protecting mosques and rejecting the blockade.

Iran's Foreign Ministry said a claim of intercepting a drone shouldn’t be used to escalate tensions.

(With AP inputs)

This article went live on September eighteenth, two thousand twenty six, at twenty-two minutes past one in the afternoon.

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