India has expressed deep concern over the drone attack near Makkah in Saudi Arabia and reiterated its condemnation of attacks on the sovereign territory of the Kingdom.
Responding to media queries on the incident, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India condemns actions that endanger civilian lives and infrastructure.
Jaiswal said the incident was particularly concerning given Makkah’s special significance to Muslims across the world. He also expressed India’s hope for an early restoration of peace and stability in the region.
Earlier, the Saudi-led coalition said Saudi air defence forces had intercepted and destroyed a drone launched by Yemen’s Houthi movement in the south of Makkah Al-Mukarramah.
According to the coalition, the drone was intercepted on Tuesday evening before it could enter the prohibited airspace around Makkah.
Coalition spokesperson Major General Turki Al-Malki described the incident as a hostile act and warned that the security of the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims was a red line.
The coalition said the incident was the second reported attempt to target Makkah, referring to a previous ballistic missile incident in July 2017.
Meanwhile, Yemen’s Houthi movement rejected Saudi Arabia’s allegation that it had launched a drone towards Makkah. Houthi military spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree described the allegation as false and said the group’s operations target Saudi military and oil facilities away from Islamic holy sites.
-ANI
