The Saudi-led coalition battling Yemen’s Houthis accused them on Wednesday of targeting Islam’s holy city of Mecca, sparking outrage across the Muslim world.
The Houthis rejected as a “lie” Riyadh’s claim that it had shot down a drone heading towards Mecca, which draws millions of pilgrims annually. Houthi politburo member Hazem al-Assad wrote on X that “the claims about targeting Mecca are a worn-out lie that has been used before and no longer fools anyone.”
The accusation comes amid fresh fighting between the Iran-backed Houthis and Yemen’s Saudi-backed government, which has drawn in the kingdom after the Houthis declared a maritime blockade on Saudi ships in the Red Sea. Last week, the Houthis seized full control of Yemen’s Red Sea coast and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a key route for Saudi oil exports.
A Mecca resident told AFP, “I saw a few people panicking, running to the window to see what happened,” adding that alarms had caused fear but that “life is normal in Mecca.”
The Saudi coalition vowed retaliation, saying “the security of the Two Holy Mosques and the pilgrims is a red line” and that it “will not hesitate to take the necessary and deterrent measures against the Terrorist Houthi Militia.” Saudi Arabia had issued brief alerts on Tuesday over possible attacks in Mecca and parts of the south.
A second Mecca resident said, “I won’t hide that we were scared, or you can say surprised. Aren’t they Muslims? They’re targeting the holiest city. What’s inside to target?”
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, representing 57 Muslim countries, condemned the “heinous attacks… against the city of Mecca and the Madinah region.”
Fighting escalated in July when the Houthis launched a large-scale offensive against government forces. The conflict has forced 82,000 people to flee their homes since early September, according to the United Nations. Yemen’s UN representative, Abdullah al-Saadi, said the government was fighting to restore “national institutions across every inch” of the country.
Saudi Arabia and Egypt have called for free navigation in the Red Sea, with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi urging protection of shipping routes through Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab. US media reported that the Saudi crown prince had personally asked President Donald Trump for US intervention but was turned down.
Qatar warned that closing Bab al-Mandab would be “catastrophic for the entire world.” The Houthis have also targeted Saudi oil infrastructure, helping push global oil prices above $100 a barrel. Riyadh’s retaliatory strikes have failed to reverse Houthi gains, with the group claiming on Wednesday to have shot down a Saudi fighter jet. A US military task force is assisting Saudi forces with intelligence-sharing and planning support.
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