India news Highlights, 16 September 2026: India voices concern over attempted drone attack on Mecca - The Indian Express

**India Voices Concern Over Attempted Drone Attack on Mecca**

*New Delhi – September 16, 2026* – The Indian Ministry of External Affairs issued a formal statement on Friday expressing deep concern over an alleged drone attack aimed at the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The warning came after Saudi officials reported that an unmanned aerial vehicle had been intercepted over the vicinity of the Grand Mosque, a site that draws millions of pilgrims each year. While no casualties have been confirmed, the incident has heightened tensions in a region already strained by the ongoing Saudi‑Yemeni conflict. Saudi authorities have not disclosed the precise origin of the drone, but they have linked the operation to the Houthi rebel movement in Yemen, which has repeatedly targeted Saudi infrastructure since the war escalated in 2024.

India’s diplomatic note, released through the Ministry’s website, called for “the immediate de‑escalation of hostilities and the safeguarding of all religious sites of global significance.” New Delhi also urged the international community to condemn any unilateral use of force that threatens the safety of pilgrims and destabilises the already volatile Red Sea corridor. The statement referenced India’s longstanding commitment to the protection of religious freedom and its concern for the welfare of Indian nationals who travel to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages.

The alleged drone strike follows a series of recent Houthi operations, including a video released on Thursday that purportedly shows a Saudi F‑15 fighter jet being hit and crashing in flames. Saudi officials have confirmed the loss of the aircraft, labeling the act “a blatant violation of international law.” Analysts say the incident underscores the expanding reach of the Houthi campaign, which has increasingly used drones and ballistic missiles to target Saudi air bases, oil facilities and now, potentially, sacred sites. The episode also raises questions about the efficacy of the 2025 Makkah Defence Pact—a security arrangement between Saudi Arabia and a coalition of Gulf states—after the attack seemingly breached the agreement’s “red line” protections around the holy city.