India on Wednesday voiced concern over the drone strike near Mecca and reaffirmed its opposition to any attacks on Saudi Arabia’s sovereign territory, stressing that such incidents put civilian lives and critical infrastructure at risk.
New Delhi called for an early restoration of peace and stability in the region.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, while responding to questions from the media about the incident, said, “We are deeply concerned at the drone attack near Makkah. 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.”
Jaiswal added, “The incident near Makkah is particularly concerning, given the special significance of the city to Muslims across the world.”
“We hope for the early restoration of peace and stability in the region,” the MEA spokesperson further said.
The Saudi-led coalition, earlier on Wednesday, warned that the security of Islam’s two holiest sites remains a “red line” after Saudi air defences intercepted and destroyed a drone south of Makkah Al-Mukarramah, commonly known as Mecca.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the coalition said the Royal Saudi Air Defence Forces detected and intercepted the drone on Tuesday evening before it could enter the restricted airspace surrounding Mecca.
Coalition spokesperson Major General Turki Al-Malki described the incident as a “hostile and terrorist act” and said the drone had been launched by what he referred to as the “Terrorist Houthi Militia”.
“The security of the Two Holy Mosques and the pilgrims is a red line,” Al-Malki said, adding that the Joint Forces Command of the Coalition “will not hesitate to take the necessary and deterrent measures” against the Houthi movement.
The coalition mentioned the incident marked the second reported attempt to target Mecca, citing an earlier incident involving a ballistic missile on July 27, 2017.
Al-Malki described the latest incident as an attempt to target “the birthplace of revelation, the land of the message, and the destination that draws the hearts of millions of Muslims from around the world”, saying it also sought to spread fear among pilgrims and endanger citizens and residents.
Meanwhile, Yemen’s Houthi movement on Wednesday denied Saudi Arabia’s claim that it had launched a drone towards the holy city of Mecca, describing the allegation as “fabrications and lies”. The group said its operations are focused on Saudi military and oil facilities located away from Islamic holy sites.
In a statement shared on Telegram, Houthi military spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree accused the Saudi Al Saud regime of attempting to mislead the public and rejected claims that the group posed any threat to the holy sites.
Saree said Houthi operations were directed at “its oil facilities and military bases, which are far removed from the sacred sites.”
(With inputs from ANI)
