India on Wednesday expressed deep concern over an attempted drone attack on the holy city of Makkah in Saudi Arabia and called for the early restoration of peace and stability in West Asia.
“The incident near Makkah is particularly concerning, given the special significance of the city to Muslims across the world. A Houthi military source strongly rejected the claim that Houthi forces pose a threat to Makkah or other holy sites in a statement issued to Yemen’s SABA news agency.
The Houthis have denied the Saudi account and said they do not pose a threat to Makkah. “We are deeply concerned at the drone attack near Makkah,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. India reiterates its condemnation of attacks on the sovereign territory of Saudi Arabia and of actions that endanger civilian lives and infrastructure, Jaiswal said. “We hope for the early restoration of peace and stability in the region,” he said. He warned that the security of the two holy mosques and pilgrims is a “red line”. “We categorically deny that there is any threat from Yemen directed at the city of Makkah or any other holy sites,” the person said.
Saudi authorities said a drone launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels towards Makkah was intercepted and destroyed before it entered restricted airspace over the holy city on Tuesday evening. Turki al-Maliki, the Saudi-led coalition’s spokesperson, said Royal Saudi Air Defence Forces intercepted the hostile drone south of Makkah on Tuesday evening.
The conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthis dates to 2015, when Saudi forces intervened in Yemen after the rebels seized the city of Sanaa and ousted the internationally recognised government.
The issue of Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia figured in a meeting between external affairs minister S Jaishankar and his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, on the margins of the Brics Summit on September 13. India had on Tuesday reiterated its opposition to attacks on merchant shipping and civilian infrastructure amid the West Asia conflict and said strikes on Saudi Arabia’s economic assets by the Houthis undermine regional stability and navigation through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
