Yemen’s Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi on Thursday rejected Saudi Arabia’s accusation that his group attempted to target Mecca with a drone, describing the allegation as a “major lie” intended to mobilise regional and international opinion against the Houthis.
In a televised address, Al-Houthi insisted that Yemenis would not attack Islamic holy sites and accused Riyadh of trying to damage the group’s standing among Muslims.
Saudi Arabia said its air defences intercepted and destroyed a drone on Tuesday before it could enter restricted airspace over Mecca, Islam’s holiest city. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree has also denied that the group launched an attack on Mecca, describing the Saudi account as propaganda.
Al-Houthi criticised governments and international organisations that condemned the reported attack, arguing that they had accepted the Saudi version of events without first seeking evidence.
He said the condemnations had wronged Yemen and its armed forces and accused some countries of allowing financial interests and Saudi “petrodollars” to influence their positions.
The Houthi leader also renewed allegations concerning the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen, claiming that more than 2,000 mosques had been struck over the course of the conflict. He alleged that historic mosques located far from front lines, a centre for the blind in Sanaa, cemeteries and archaeological sites had also been targeted.
Al-Houthi said these incidents represented a sustained pattern rather than isolated attacks and claimed the group possessed documents and other evidence supporting its allegations.
UN investigators and international rights organisations have previously documented attacks on civilian and cultural sites by the Saudi-led coalition during Yemen’s conflict, while also documenting violations committed by the Houthis and other parties to the war.
Al-Houthi further accused the United States of directly supporting Saudi military operations, alleging that around 200 American military experts were involved in a joint structure overseeing operations against Yemen. He also claimed that American, British and Israeli experts were assisting Saudi operations and pointed to Riyadh’s use of US-made aircraft and munitions.
The claims concerning foreign military personnel were not independently substantiated in the information provided.
Al-Houthi argued that Saudi Arabia was seeking broader regional and international involvement in the conflict to compensate for what he described as “military setbacks.”
Saudi Arabia and the Houthis have offered sharply conflicting accounts of the drone incident near Mecca, with Riyadh attributing the aircraft to the group and Houthi leaders categorically denying responsibility.