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Yemen’s Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi has rejected Saudi Arabia’s accusation that his group attempted to target Mecca, calling the claim “fabrication and misinformation” amid escalating tensions between the two sides.
In a televised address on Houthi-run al-Masirah TV on Thursday, al-Houthi said the allegations were false and accused Saudi Arabia of using them to rally support for what he described as “military measures imposed on Yemen.”
He also accused Riyadh of failing to pursue a political settlement during a period of relative calm, saying restrictions on Houthi-controlled areas remained in place, including limits on airport operations and imports.
Al-Houthi called on supporters across Yemen to stage mass demonstrations on Thursday to reject what he described as Saudi “fabrications and slander.”
His remarks came a day after Saudi Arabia accused the Houthis of launching a drone toward Mecca. The Saudi-led coalition said its air defence forces intercepted and destroyed the drone south of Mecca on Tuesday evening before it entered the holy city’s restricted airspace.
Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Malki described the security of Islam’s two holiest sites and pilgrims as a “red line” and said necessary measures would be taken. He said the incident was the second alleged Houthi attempt to target Mecca, following what the coalition described as a ballistic missile attack in July 2017.
The latest exchange comes amid a broader escalation in Yemen, with the Houthis reporting gains along the Red Sea coast and around the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait since September 3, while also intensifying missile and drone attacks on Saudi military and oil facilities. The Houthis say Saudi warplanes have stepped up airstrikes across Yemen.
Yemen’s conflict began in late 2014 when the Houthis seized Sanaa and large parts of northern Yemen. Saudi Arabia then led a coalition that intervened in March 2015 in support of the internationally recognised Yemeni government.
