A video circulating widely on social media over the past several hours has been presented by users as footage showing the moment a drone or missile exploded over the Grand Mosque in Mecca, coinciding with Saudi Arabia’s announcement that it had intercepted a drone launched by the Houthis south of the holy city.
However, a review of the video’s location and timing indicates that it does not show the drone incident Saudi authorities announced on Tuesday evening. Instead, the footage dates back to an incident in Medina in September 2025.
What Happened in Mecca?
Major General Turki al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, said Saudi air defences intercepted and destroyed a drone at 6:50 pm on Tuesday, 15 September 2026.
According to al-Maliki, the drone had been launched by the Houthi movement and was intercepted before it entered the restricted airspace surrounding Mecca.
He said the interception took place south of the city of Mecca, not above the Grand Mosque.
Under the Saudi account, the incident represents the second attempt to target Mecca, following the launch of a ballistic missile towards the city on 27 July 2017.
The Houthis, however, denied targeting Mecca.
Hizam al-Assad, a member of the group’s political bureau, said the Saudi account was incorrect and maintained that the movement does not target the holy city.
Footage Actually Dates Back to Medina
The video now being recirculated as footage of a drone or missile over the Grand Mosque in Mecca matches recordings that circulated in September 2025 from Medina.
The footage therefore predates the incident announced by Saudi authorities and was recorded in a different city.
The earlier recordings showed lights or luminous objects in the sky near the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina. In some of the clips, the appearance of the objects was followed by the sound of an explosion.
At the time, social media users circulated the recordings while claiming they showed the interception of a missile or drone.
The renewed circulation of the footage has consequently linked two separate events: the September 2025 recordings from Medina and the September 2026 Saudi announcement concerning a drone intercepted south of Mecca.
