Saudi Arabia's Civil Defence issued air-raid alerts across several cities in the west of the country, including Mecca, Jeddah and Taif, before they were quickly lifted on Tuesday.
For Mecca, it was the first alert of its kind in the city's history. The warnings came after repeated Houthi attacks on the kingdom in recent days. The Iran-backed group has launched missiles and drones from Yemen.
Israel Hayom reported that air traffic bound for Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Medina was also halted. The report said Saudi forces and the Saudi-backed, internationally recognised Yemeni government had earlier struck targets near the city of Taiz in Yemen.
The alerts came a day after a Houthi assault involving ballistic missiles and drones from Yemen wounded 13 people in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Civil Defence said in a post on X: "Alert: The danger has passed in Mecca City. For your safety, continue following #CivilDefense instructions and avoid gathering and filming. In case of emergency, call (911)."
However, a Houthi official denied claims that the group had launched a drone towards Mecca. "The claims about targeting Mecca are a worn-out lie that has been used before and no longer fools anyone," Hazem al-Assad, a member of the Houthis' politburo, wrote on X.
The Houthis carried out their heaviest missile and drone attack in years against Saudi Arabia this week, setting oil facilities ablaze and wounding 73 people. On Monday, a Houthi strike in western Yemen killed eight government soldiers, according to two military sources.
The group also claimed to have carried out a new large-scale attack involving "dozens of ballistic missiles and drones" against King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait, southern Saudi Arabia.
The Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces have been fighting since Yemen's civil war reignited in July. That month, the group declared a maritime blockade against Riyadh and began targeting ships in the Red Sea.
"The Yemeni response will continue and escalate as long as they (Saudi Arabia) persist in their aggression against our people," al-Assad said.
Meanwhile, Qatar has warned of dire consequences if the Bab al-Mandab Strait is closed.
