In first, Saudi Arabia activates Mecca warning system amid Houthi threat
Saudi Arabia activated emergency alerts in the holy city for the first time since Yemen's Houthi group intensified its drone and missile attacks on the kingdom.
Saudi Arabia issued an emergency alert in Mecca on Tuesday, warning of a “potential danger," marking the first such alert in the holy city since Yemen’s Houthi rebels began attacking the kingdom in recent days.
The National Early Warning Platform for Emergencies issued the alert, according to the Saudi Civil Defense, without specifying the nature of the danger. It urged residents to avoid crowded and open areas and seek immediate shelter indoors.
The Civil Defense later said the danger had passed, calling on residents to continue avoiding gatherings and filming or taking photos.
A warning has been issued by the National Early Warning Platform in the Jeddah Governorate to alert of a potential danger. Please follow the instructions below: pic.twitter.com/Iz98UOKXb4
— الدفاع المدني السعودي (@SaudiDCD) September 15, 2026
Similar alerts were issued early Tuesday for the governorates of Jeddah and Taif and were lifted shortly afterward.
The emergency warnings come amid repeated Houthi attacks against the kingdom. At least 13 civilians were injured in a series of missiles and drones launched by the Houthis toward the Saudi cities of Khamis Mushayt, Abha and Taif on Monday, according to Col. Turki al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led military coalition.
In a statement released Tuesday, Maliki condemned the Houthis’ “heinous and deliberate attacks” on civilians in Saudi Arabia, saying the coalition would respond to the attacks “firmly to protect the sovereignty of the kingdom” and would take "all necessary operational measures to deter” this escalation.
Last week, the Houthis launched a barrage of missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia, targeting the southern cities of Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran. The attacks injured at least 73 people and led to the temporary halt of operations at some energy facilities.
The Iranian-backed Houthis have accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out airstrikes and firing cruise missiles in Yemen amid heavy fighting between Houthi fighters and Saudi-aligned government forces in south and western Yemen.
The Houthis made significant advances along the western Red Sea coast of Yemen over the weekend. On Monday, they seized the Greater and Lesser Hanish islands, which lie about 100 miles north of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.