Saudi-led coalition says it downs Houthi drone over Medina; Houthis deny attack

The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen said on Friday it had intercepted and destroyed a drone launched by Yemen's Houthis over Saudi Arabia's Medina region, but the Iran-aligned group denied carrying out any attack towards the kingdom.



Medina is home to one of Islam's holiest sites and is visited by millions of Muslim pilgrims each year.



Cross-border attacks involving the Saudi-led coalition, which backs Yemen's internationally recognised government, and the Houthis, who control the capital Sanaa, have intensified amid the US-Israeli war on Iran, opening another front in the conflict.



The Houthis have repeatedly denied targeting Mecca and Medina, Islam's two holiest cities, rejecting previous Saudi-led coalition accusations that it had launched drones towards the cities.