Houthi drone debris kills one, injures two in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia said on Thursday that debris from an intercepted Houthi drone killed one person and injured two others in Taif, as fighting between the Iran-aligned group, Saudi-backed Yemeni forces and their allies intensified amid the wider Middle East conflict.Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence said the falling debris caused “one death, two injuries, and material damage to several buildings and vehicles”. The person killed was a Yemeni national, while the injured included a Saudi citizen and a Pakistani resident, according to Saudi authorities.The incident came a day after Riyadh said it had intercepted a drone headed towards Mecca, Islam’s holiest city. The Houthis denied targeting Mecca, while Iran’s Foreign Ministry urged against using claims over drone interceptions to escalate tensions.The renewed violence follows the collapse of a fragile truce in Yemen and a fresh Houthi offensive that has seen the group make gains along the Red Sea coast. Reuters reported that thousands of Yemenis were fleeing by sea as fighting intensified, with more than 100,000 people displaced by the renewed conflict.The strategic stakes have also widened beyond Yemen. The Houthis have taken control of areas around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, one of the world’s key maritime chokepoints, raising concerns over shipping and energy supplies. Reuters said the group’s gains had increased risks around a route critical to global trade.On Thursday, the Houthi-backed Almasirah television reported that Saudi warplanes had struck telecommunications towers in Taiz province, killing one civilian and injuring another. It also reported that three children were killed in strikes by forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognised government. Those claims could not be independently verified.Saudi Arabia’s latest casualties have also placed renewed attention on its defence arrangements with Pakistan and Turkiye. The three countries recently signed a defence pact, while Pakistan has said the agreement could become operational in the event of aggression against Saudi Arabia.Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.