The Houthi Attack on Makkah

Makkah is the Holy Capital of Muslims and the direction of their prayers; it lies in the Makkah Region in the west of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and within it are the Grand Mosque and the Holy Kaaba, which pilgrims and Umrah performers visit from all parts of the world. [2]

The Holy Capital has seen successive hostile attempts, all of which ended in failure: from Abraha al-Habashi's campaign against the Kaaba in the Year of the Elephant, to the Qarmatian assault on Makkah, to the attempts of the Houthi militia to target it with a ballistic missile on 27 July 2017 and with a hostile drone on 15 September 2026. The Royal Saudi Air Defence Forces intercepted both attempts and destroyed them before they reached the Holy City. [1][9][16]

Abraha al-Habashi, also known as Abraha al-Ashram, led his army to Makkah in the Year of the Elephant in an attempt to demolish the Holy Kaaba. Allah destroyed the campaign and its army, and the fate of the wrongdoers in this episode was made a Qur'an recited until the Day of Resurrection. [16][17]

Abraha's campaign is the clearest precedent for aggression against the Sacred House: it targeted Makkah just as the Houthi militia targeted it in its later attempts, and the missile was launched from where Abraha began his attack on the Kaaba, destruction being the fate of that first campaign and of those who followed its path. [15][16]

In distant ages Makkah witnessed an assault by the Qarmatians, who killed Muslims in the Grand Mosque, attacked the Holy Kaaba, and seized the Black Stone from the Kaaba and dislodged it from its place. [12][13][14]

The Qarmatian assault remains the only precedent in Islamic history for violating the sanctity of Makkah and seizing the Black Stone, before the Houthi militia undertook its attempts to target the Holy City. [13][14][16]

On the evening of Thursday 4 Dhu al-Qi'dah 1438 AH, corresponding to 27 July 2017, the air defence forces intercepted a ballistic missile launched by the Houthi militia towards the Makkah Region in a desperate attempt to disrupt the Hajj season. The interception took place above the Al-Wasiliyah area in the governorate of Taif City, 69 km from Makkah, and caused no damage. [9]

An earlier documented episode had been recorded on 27 October 2016, when a ballistic missile was launched at 21:00 on the evening of Thursday 26 Muharram 1438 AH from Sa'dah Governorate towards the Makkah Region; air defence means intercepted and destroyed it 65 km from Makkah without any damage, and coalition air forces struck the launch site. [10]

The Executive Committee of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, at ministerial level, condemned the targeting of Makkah in the strongest terms in its emergency meeting at its headquarters in Jeddah on 5 Safar 1438 AH, corresponding to 5 November 2016. It considered anyone who supports the Houthi militia, arms it and smuggles ballistic missiles to it a constant partner in the assault on the sanctities of the Islamic world, and recommended holding an emergency meeting of the foreign ministers of the member states in Makkah. [11]

At 18:50 on the evening of Tuesday 4 Rabi' al-Akhir 1448 AH, corresponding to 15 September 2026, the Royal Saudi Air Defence Forces intercepted and destroyed a hostile drone launched by the Houthi militia before it entered the restricted airspace of the Holy Capital, Makkah. The interception took place south of the city of Makkah. [1]

The official spokesman for the coalition forces, Major General Turki Al-Maliki, indicated that this attempt is the second to target Makkah, after the first attempt with a ballistic missile on 27 July 2017. He affirmed that the security of the Two Holy Mosques and the Guests of the Most Merciful is a red line, and that the Joint Forces Command will not hesitate to take the necessary deterrent measures against the Houthi militia and its hostile and terrorist conduct. [1]

The Joint Forces Command regarded the targeting as a shameful act in its assault on the place of revelation, the land of the message and the focus of the hearts of millions of Muslims, and as an attempt to terrorise the guests of the Sacred House of Allah and to harm citizens and residents. [1]

In its statement issued on 16 September 2026, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed the Kingdom's condemnation and denunciation of the Houthi militia's launch of a hostile drone towards the city of Makkah. It regarded the assault as a repetition of the militia's practices in targeting the holy sites and a provocation of the feelings of Muslims in all parts of the world, and renewed affirmation of the Kingdom's legitimate right to take all necessary measures to defend the security of the Two Holy Mosques and the Guests of the Most Merciful, and all the territory of the Kingdom, its citizens and residents. [2]

The Jordanian government condemned the attempt, regarding it as a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a threat to its security, stability and territorial integrity, and a blatant breach of international law. The State of Qatar condemned and denounced in the strongest terms any infringement on the sanctity of Makkah and the Sacred House of Allah, regarding it as a gravely dangerous transgression of all religious, moral and humanitarian red lines. [3][4] The Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its strong condemnation and denunciation, described the attempt as a cowardly and shameful act, and praised the vigilance and competence of the Royal Saudi Air Defence Forces in confronting it, while Egypt expressed its strong condemnation and denunciation and regarded the security of the Kingdom as an integral part of Arab national security. [5][6]

The Republic of Türkiye stressed its condemnation of the attempt, affirmed its support for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and called for an immediate halt to these attacks, which threaten regional stability and security. The President of the Lebanese Republic condemned the attempt strongly, affirming Lebanon's full solidarity with the Kingdom and its stand at its side. [7][8]

Makkah is the land of the message, the place of revelation, the qibla of Muslims and the focus of the hearts of millions of Muslims from all countries; within it are the Grand Mosque and the Holy Kaaba. Targeting it is therefore an infringement on the sanctity of the holy places and a provocation of the feelings of Muslims in all parts of the world. [2]

In this context the Kingdom affirmed that the security of the Two Holy Mosques and the Guests of the Most Merciful is a red line, and that it has the legitimate right to take all necessary measures to defend the security of the Two Holy Mosques and the Guests of the Most Merciful, and all the territory of the Kingdom, its citizens and residents. [1][2]

The way of Allah is constant with those who intend harm to the Sacred House: the Qarmatians preceded the Houthi militia in this, and Abraha al-Habashi and his army preceded them, and the fate of the wrongdoers was the great destruction that Allah made a Qur'an recited until the Day of Resurrection. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia remains the guardian of the security of the Two Holy Mosques and the Guests of the Most Merciful. [16]

Q: What are the documented attempts to target Makkah? A: The attempt of 27 July 2017, with a ballistic missile intercepted by the air defence forces above the Al-Wasiliyah area in Taif Governorate, 69 km from Makkah; the attempt of 15 September 2026, with a hostile drone intercepted by the Royal Saudi Air Defence Forces south of Makkah; and the episode of 27 October 2016, in which a ballistic missile was launched from Sa'dah Governorate and destroyed 65 km from Makkah. [9][1][10]

Q: What happened in the attempt of 15 September 2026? A: The Royal Saudi Air Defence Forces intercepted and destroyed a hostile drone launched by the Houthi militia before it entered the restricted airspace of Makkah, and the interception took place south of the city of Makkah at 18:50 on the evening of Tuesday 4 Rabi' al-Akhir 1448 AH, corresponding to 15 September 2026. [1]

Q: How did the Kingdom respond to the attempt of 15 September 2026? A: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned it, regarded the assault as a repetition of the Houthi militia's practices in targeting the holy sites and a provocation of the feelings of Muslims, and renewed affirmation of the Kingdom's legitimate right to take all necessary measures to defend the security of the Two Holy Mosques and the Guests of the Most Merciful. [2]

Q: Has Makkah been targeted before in history? A: Yes; among these were Abraha al-Habashi's campaign against the Kaaba in the Year of the Elephant, whose campaign and army Allah destroyed, and the Qarmatian assault, in which they killed Muslims in the Grand Mosque, seized the Black Stone from the Kaaba and dislodged it from its place. [16][17][13][14]