Saudi Arabia says it shot down Houthi drone south of Mecca

Saudi Arabia intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of the Islamic holy city of Mecca on Tuesday evening, according to the spokesman of the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen.

Turki al-Maliki said the targeting of Mecca, which is the home of Islam's most sacred shrine and the focal point of the Hajj pilgrimage, was a "disgraceful act".

The 57-nation Organisation of Islamic Cooperation said attacks on Mecca and Medina province, where Islam's second holiest shrine is located, constituted an "unacceptable and intolerable transgression".

But the Houthis, an Iran-backed armed group that controls much of western Yemen, denied targeting Mecca and accused Saudi Arabia of "fabrications and lies".

"There is no threat whatsoever from Yemen to the holy sites. Our operations target their oil facilities and military bases, and are far removed from the holy places," military spokesman Yahya Sarea said.

Sarea added that the Houthis had launched drones and missiles at Saudi Arabia in retaliation for more than 450 Saudi air strikes on their territory over the past week.

He also said they had shot down a Saudi fighter jet over Marib province.

There was no immediate response from the Saudi-led coalition, but Maj Gen Maliki did say that its forces would "not hesitate to take the necessary and deterrent measures against the terrorist Houthi militia and its hostile and terrorist behaviour".