A popular seaside town is on high alert after a drone was shot down just miles from sunbathing tourists. The Egyptian Air Defence today intercepted a drone flying off the Red Sea resort town of Dahab, possibly coming from Yemen and intended to attack Israel, an Egyptian security source told EFE.

In a dramatic turn, the military destroyed the drone near Dahab, nestled in the eastern expanse of the Sinai Peninsula, after it encroached on “Egyptian airspace”.

The anonymous source said the unmanned craft originated from Yemen, a machination orchestrated by Shiite Houthi rebels with Israel as their intended focal point.

This, the source said, manifests as “a glaring menace to Egyptian national security”.

This marks the second drone felled near Dahab’s shores within a fortnight. The Egyptian military is yet to respond to the incident.

Egyptian President Abdelfatah al Sisi sounded a stern warning, adding that Egypt “cannot be touched”.

Dahab, a magnet for tourists, is renowned for its turquoise waters, excellent scuba diving and free diving hotspots as well as snorkelling.

Over the past two months, the Houthis have unleashed a barrage of missiles and drones on southern Israel.

Ships bearing the Jewish flag or owned by Israeli enterprises, traversing the Red Sea and the Bab al Mandeb Strait, have also borne the brunt of these attacks, prompting major shipping companies to suspend operations in this vital sea route.