Saudi civil defense warning of ‘potential danger’ in Mecca, Jeddah; warning rescinded minutes later

By AFP Today, 11:59 am

Edit

Saudi Arabia’s civil defense agency broadcasts warnings of “potential danger” for four of its western provinces, including that of Mecca, home to Islam’s holiest city, without saying why.

The alerts, which also covered the major Red Sea city of Jeddah, nearby Taif and the coastal oil hub of Yanbu, were all rescinded minutes later.

Residents were briefly instructed to “proceed to the nearest safe place” by the agency. The agency also repeats a legal warning against sharing images or information related to “countering missiles and drones.”

The Gulf kingdom has come under repeated attack from Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis in recent weeks as part of the latter country’s revived civil war.