Sanaa, September 18, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Yemen’s Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi has rejected Saudi Arabia’s allegation that the group attempted to target the Islamic holy city of Mecca, calling the accusation “fabrication and misinformation” amid renewed tensions between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia.
In a televised address broadcast by Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV on Thursday, al-Houthi said claims that Houthi forces had targeted Mecca were false and alleged that the accusation was being used to rally support for what he described as Saudi military measures against Yemen.
He also accused Saudi Arabia of failing to make progress towards a political settlement during the period of relative calm before the latest escalation. According to al-Houthi, restrictions affecting areas under Houthi control, including limitations on airport operations and imports, had continued to remain unresolved.
The Houthi leader called on supporters across Yemen to stage mass demonstrations on Friday against what he described as Saudi “fabrications and slander”.
His remarks came a day after Saudi Arabia accused the Houthis of launching a drone towards Mecca.
The Saudi-led coalition said on Wednesday that the Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces had intercepted and destroyed a drone south of Mecca on Tuesday evening before it entered the 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 in response.
Al-Malki said the incident marked the second alleged Houthi attempt to target Mecca, referring to a ballistic missile incident in July 2017 that the coalition had previously described as an attempted attack on the holy city.
The latest exchange comes amid a broader escalation in the Yemen conflict. The Houthis have claimed military gains along parts of the Red Sea coast and around the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait since September 3, while reporting stepped-up missile and drone attacks targeting Saudi military and oil facilities.
The Houthis have also accused Saudi Arabia of intensifying airstrikes across Yemen.
Yemen’s conflict escalated in late 2014 after the Houthis seized Sanaa and large parts of northern Yemen. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in March 2015 in support of the internationally recognised Yemeni government.
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