Saudi Arabia has tightened security measures around Mecca after its air defence forces brought down a drone reportedly heading towards the holy city, as tensions involving Yemen’s Houthi movement intensify.

Mecca, home to the Kaaba and Islam’s holiest mosque, receives millions of Muslim worshippers each year for Hajj and Umrah, making any reported security threat around the city particularly sensitive.

Northern Nigeria Hub, citing Al Jazeera, reported that the drone was intercepted on Tuesday evening before reaching the restricted airspace around Mecca, according to Saudi-led coalition spokesperson Turki al-Maliki. He said the Kingdom considers the safety of worshippers and the two holy mosques a critical security concern.

The incident also prompted brief security alerts in Mecca, Taif and Jeddah. The warning in Mecca was particularly notable because similar security measures have rarely been activated in the holy city since 2017, when Saudi Arabia reported previous Houthi attempts involving the area.

The Houthis, however, rejected any suggestion that they had targeted Mecca. Northern Nigeria Hub reported that a military source quoted by Yemen’s SABA news agency said the group had no intention of attacking the city or any Islamic holy site, describing reports to the contrary as misinformation.

The development comes following renewed military tensions between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis after a period of relative calm that followed a UN-brokered truce in 2022. Saudi authorities have recently reported fresh missile and drone attacks on locations across the Kingdom, while the Saudi-led coalition has warned of a firm response to attacks that have caused casualties.