Riyadh: The Saudi led military coalition said on Friday that it intercepted and destroyed a drone launched by Yemen's Houthi movement over Saudi Arabia's Madinah region.
According to Reuters, the coalition announced the interception amid an escalation of cross border hostilities between Saudi backed forces and the Iran aligned Houthi movement.
Madinah is home to one of Islam's holiest sites, the Prophet's Mosque, which receives millions of Muslim pilgrims each year.
The coalition did not provide details on the drone's intended target, the exact location of the interception, or whether the incident caused any casualties or property damage.
Houthis deny launching attack towards Saudi Arabia
The Houthi movement rejected allegations that it carried out an attack on Saudi Arabia on Friday.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree disputed the Saudi led coalition's account, saying the group did not conduct any operation towards Saudi territory that day.
The group repeatedly denied deliberately targeting Makkah and Madinah, rejecting earlier Saudi accusations of drone attacks on the two holy cities.
The coalition's claim and the Houthi denial could not be reconciled independently.
Second reported interception near Saudi holy cities
The announcement followed an earlier statement from the Saudi led coalition that it intercepted and destroyed another drone over the Makkah region on Friday.
Saudi authorities attributed the drone to the Houthis, who also disputed the allegation.
The two announcements came amid heightened concerns over the security of Saudi Arabia's western regions, including areas visited by millions of pilgrims.
Neither announcement established that the holy sites themselves were the intended targets.
Despite ongoing diplomatic efforts to reduce regional tensions, the latest reported drone interceptions demonstrate the difficulties of containing the conflict.
Saudi authorities did not release further details about the reported Madinah interception.
