On 15th September (Tuesday), Saudi Arabia issued an alert about possible assaults on the Islamic holy city of Mecca, along with the governorates of Jeddah and Taif, after the country was repeatedly targeted by Yemen-based Shiite Houthis in recent days. However, the alert was lifted later. Notably, it was the first such alert in Mecca since the start of the latest Middle East conflict.
The development unfolded after a day of drone and ballistic missile strikes from Yemen that left 13 people injured in the southern part of the nation. The Saudi Civil Defence stated that the alert was sent via the National Early Warning Platform for Emergencies, but it did not identify the nature of the threat. However, it advised locals to find shelter as soon as possible and stay away from crowded and open spaces. Emergency numbers were also published in light of any precarious situation.
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
Afterwards, the Civil Defence declared that the threat had passed and urged locals to continue staying away from gatherings and not record or capture photographs. Several Saudi cities, including Jeddah and Yanbu, already received emergency alerts from the Civil Defence.
According to Colonel Turki al-Maliki, a spokesman for the Saudi-led military coalition, the Houthis launched a succession of missiles and drones against the Saudi cities of Khamis Mushayt, Abha and Taif injuring at least 13 civilians, a day earlier. He denounced the “heinous and deliberate attacks” on Saudi Arabian civilians in an official statement and warned that the coalition would retaliate “firmly to protect the sovereignty of the kingdom” and would take “all necessary operational measures to deter” the escalation of tensions.
Saudi Arabia and the Houthis have charged each other with initiating strikes on their territories, with both sides claiming casualties. Three individuals, including two children, were reportedly killed in Taiz province by Saudi airstrikes, according to a statement from the Houthi-run Health Ministry in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa.
Saudi cities of Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran were recent targets of the missile and drone hits by Houthis. As a result, at least 73 individuals were hurt, which also caused some energy facilities to temporarily cease operations. However, the Houthis countered that the kingdom executed airstrikes and fired cruise missiles in Yemen.
Over the weekend, the Iran-backed militias significantly advanced along Yemen’s western Red Sea coast. The Greater and Lesser Hanish islands, located around 100 miles north of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, were taken over on Monday.
