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Saudi Arabia issues rare warning of possible attack on Makkah
Published : Tuesday, 15 September, 2026 at 5:39 PM
Observer online report
Saudi Arabia on Tuesday issued a rare warning of a possible attack on the holy city of Makkah amid rising tensions with Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, but withdrew the alert shortly afterwards.
The warning was also issued for Jeddah and Taif.
The alert came as the Houthis have carried out drone and missile attacks in several parts of Saudi Arabia in recent days. Makkah, Islam’s holiest city, is home to the Kaaba.
According to AFP, it was the first such warning issued for Makkah since the recent war in the Middle East began. The alert was withdrawn after a short time.
On Monday, 13 people were injured in a Houthi drone and missile attack on southern Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia later launched retaliatory strikes.
The Houthis said Saudi Arabia had carried out more than 300 airstrikes against their positions over the past five days.
In a statement posted on Telegram on Monday, the rebels said Saudi warplanes, including F-15 fighter jets and Eurofighter Typhoons, had carried out the strikes.
The Houthis warned that tensions would escalate if Saudi Arabia continued its attacks.
Tensions between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia have risen sharply over the past two weeks, raising fears of a full-scale conflict.
Yemen’s civil war began in 2014 after an anti-government uprising, with the Houthis taking control of large areas, including the capital Sanaa. In 2015, a Saudi-led military coalition began a major campaign against the Houthis.
A UN-brokered truce between the two sides took effect in 2022, after the Houthis refused to withdraw. There were no major attacks or counterattacks between them for a long period, but the ceasefire has recently become ineffective.
The Houthis also claimed to have attacked King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait in response to Saudi strikes. They said dozens of ballistic missiles were used to target aircraft hangars, radar systems, runways and weapons depots.
Source: AFP
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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
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Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
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