A video being widely shared on social media as footage of the September 15, 2026 Makkah drone incident is old and does not show the latest interception.
The viral clip shows a bright object flying near the minaret of Masjid an-Nabawi in Madinah. The image circulating online itself carries the claim, “Saudi Arabia intercepts missile in Madinah,” while the accompanying post says the footage was recorded near Masjid an-Nabawi and that there were no official Saudi reports at the time. It is dated 12 September 2025.
The footage is therefore being shared with misleading context as evidence of the latest incident in Makkah.
What happened in 2025?
The video dates back to September 2025, when footage showing an aerial object near Masjid an-Nabawi in Madinah circulated widely on social media. The clip was associated with reports of an unauthorised drone being intercepted near the Masjid an-Nabawi.
The footage should not be confused with the separate incident reported in September 2026.
Fact Check ⚠️
The video being shared as footage of the interception over Makkah is actually from Madinah and dates back to 2025. https://t.co/HGAneYMxIV pic.twitter.com/p3uVBoX2L8
— Mohsin Ali (@Mohsin_o2) September 16, 2026
What happened in Makkah in 2026?
Saudi authorities said air defence forces intercepted and destroyed a Houthi-launched drone south of Makkah on September 15, 2026, before it entered the holy city’s prohibited airspace. The Saudi-led coalition said the interception took place at around 6:50pm local time.
Houthi officials have denied targeting Makkah, according to Reuters and other reports.
Two separate incidents
- Madinah — September 2025: The viral video shows an earlier interception near Masjid an-Nabawi.
- Makkah — September 15, 2026: Saudi authorities reported intercepting a Houthi drone south of Makkah before it entered restricted airspace.
Fact-check: The viral video is old footage from 2025 and was filmed in/near Madinah, not footage of the 2026 Makkah drone interception.
