On Wednesday, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Department of Foreign Relations strongly condemned the targeting of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with drones, including an attempt to target the Islamic holy site of Mecca.

The KRG Department of Foreign Relations underlined in a statement that these drone attacks constitute “a serious threat to the Kingdom’s security, the safety of civilians, and visitors to the House of God.”

On Tuesday, the Saudi-led military coalition stated that Saudi air defences had intercepted a Houthi drone south of Mecca amid heavy fighting between the Iran-backed Houthi groups in Yemen and the internationally recognized Saudi-backed Yemeni government.

“We emphasize that the security, stability, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are essential to the security and stability of the region, and that any attack targeting its territory or putting civilians at risk is unacceptable and condemned,” the KRG Department of Foreign Relations said.

“The targeting of Mecca, given its great religious and spiritual significance to Muslims around the world, represents an extremely dangerous development. It threatens the sanctity of holy sites and the safety of pilgrims and requires clear and firm condemnation in this regard.”

The Department of Foreign Relations underlined its full solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in protecting its security, sovereignty, and the safety of its citizens, residents, and guests, and reaffirmed its support for all efforts aimed at strengthening security, peace, and stability in the region.

“We stress that disputes should not be used as a pretext for targeting civilians, civilian facilities, or religious holy sites, and that respect for the sovereignty of states, the sanctity of holy places, and the protection of civilians must remain steadfast principles that must not be violated.”

Last week, the KRG Department of Foreign Relations also condemned the attacks targeting cities and economic facilities in Saudi Arabia.

Also on September 12, the Kurdistan Region Presidency condemned the September 10 attacks targeting oil pipelines in Saudi Arabia and expressed support for the Iraqi government’s efforts to investigate the attacks.