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Pakistan PM condemns alleged drone attack on Makkah
Published : Wednesday, 16 September, 2026 at 5:02 PM
Observer online report
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has strongly condemned an alleged Houthi drone attack attempt on Makkah, after Saudi Arabia said the drone was destroyed before reaching the city's airspace.
The Saudi-led military coalition said on Wednesday that the drone was launched at around 10:00 PM local time on Tuesday and was intercepted before it could reach Makkah.
In a statement on X on Wednesday, Shehbaz condemned what he described as a “cowardly and heinous” attempt to attack the holy city.
“Pakistan stands shoulder to shoulder with its brotherly country Saudi Arabia in the struggle to protect its territorial integrity and sovereignty,” he said.
The Houthi rebels denied Saudi Arabia's claim of a drone attack on Makkah, calling it a “heinous lie”.
Houthi Political Bureau member Hizam al-Asad said the claim was a “heinous lie” that had been made before but could no longer mislead anyone.
The Saudi-led coalition said the incident was the second alleged attempt by the Houthis to attack Makkah. It said the group had previously attempted to target the city with a ballistic missile on July 27, 2017.
The coalition said the drone was launched at around 9:50 PM local time on Tuesday and was destroyed before it could strike.
The conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthi group dates back to 2014, when civil war broke out in Yemen. The Iran-backed Houthi group captured the capital Sanaa in 2015.
Yemen's then-president Mansour Abd al-Hadi fled to Saudi Arabia after the Houthis seized the capital. Saudi Arabia and its allies launched a military campaign in Yemen that year to restore his government to power.
The Houthis reached a ceasefire agreement with Saudi Arabia through UN mediation in 2022. The two sides remained relatively stable for nearly four years.
Tensions began rising again after Yemeni forces attacked Sanaa International Airport on July 13.
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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.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Advertisement: 41053012; 01793317829, 01550707291, E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Online: email: [email protected] 41053014; 01550707297 Advertisement: 01550707296
