Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has condemned the Makkah drone attack, calling it “dastardly and heinous.” He vowed Pakistan’s full support for Saudi Arabia in the aftermath. According to the premier, Pakistan stands shoulder to shoulder with the kingdom in defending its sovereignty. Protecting the holy sites, he said, is a duty every Pakistani carries close to their heart.
The statement followed news that Saudi air defences intercepted a Houthi drone south of Mecca on Tuesday. Officials destroyed the device before it could enter restricted airspace over the holy city. Meanwhile, the Saudi-led coalition called the security of the Two Holy Mosques a “red line.” It also promised further measures to deter future attacks.
I condemn in the strongest possible terms the dastardly and heinous attempted drone attack against the Holy Site of Makkah Al-Mukarramah.
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) September 16, 2026
The people of Pakistan are saddened and perturbed by this outrageous act. There can be no words strong enough to capture the depth of…
PM Shehbaz said the people of Pakistan were saddened by the incident. He added that no words could capture the depth of their anguish. Additionally, he praised Saudi forces for their “swift and heroic action” and vigilance. He also urged all parties to exercise restraint and avoid further escalation.
“Our region has already suffered far too much from conflict,” the prime minister said. He added that dialogue and diplomacy remain the only sustainable path toward peace. Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, issued security alerts across several cities, including Mecca. This followed a week of attacks by Iran-aligned fighters. However, a Houthi military source denied that the group posed any threat to Mecca or other holy sites.
The Houthis have seized parts of Yemen’s Red Sea coast near the Bab el-Mandeb strait. This is one of the world’s busiest shipping routes. Furthermore, their position threatens Saudi oil exports rerouted away from the Strait of Hormuz. The group also claimed several major attacks on Saudi Arabia over the past week. These included a strike on an air base, which it described as retaliation for strikes on Yemen.
This was not the first such incident. On 23 July, the Houthis said they had struck two Saudi oil tankers. They described the strikes as part of a naval blockade against the kingdom. Saudi Arabia has also shut its East-West pipeline after the conduit came under aerial attack.
The Makkah drone attack comes shortly after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye formalised their ties. The three countries signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, a trilateral security framework. Proponents describe it as a defensive arrangement meant to strengthen collective deterrence. Still, security analysts say the pact formalises existing cooperation rather than creating a new military bloc like NATO.
