00:00Saudi Arabia says a drone was shot down over the Mecca region
00:03with the Saudi-led military coalition blaming Yemen's Houthis.
00:07But the Iran-backed group denies launching any operation towards Saudi territory today.
00:14Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sari rejected accusations
00:18that the group had targeted Mecca and Medina, Islam's two holiest cities.
00:24Recent weeks have seen escalating cross-border hostilities between the two sides,
00:29with Saudi strikes hitting Houthi-held areas in Yemen
00:32and the Houthis launching missiles and drones towards Saudi Arabia.
00:36Houthi forces have previously claimed a total of six attacks
00:40on airports and oil facilities across the kingdom.
00:44These escalations come just days after senior officials from Saudi Arabia,
00:49Iran, Pakistan and Turkey meet in Tehran
00:52and agree to continue talks on regional peace and security.
