Saudi Arabia: Attack on Mecca is a Red Line; Houthis Deny the Accusation

Saudi Arabia once again declared that any attack on Mecca, the holy city of Muslims, is a red line. These statements came after the Saudi-led coalition claimed to have intercepted a Houthi drone heading towards Mecca.

Houthi Reaction to the Accusations

Hazem Al-Asad, a member of the Houthi political office, responded to these claims on the social media platform X, stating: "The claim of targeting Mecca is an old and repeated lie that has been used before and no longer deceives anyone." Yahya Saree, the military spokesperson for the Houthis, also denied this claim, stating that the group's operations do not target "holy places" and only aim at Saudi oil facilities and military bases.

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Warning from the Saudi Coalition and International Reactions

The Saudi-led coalition, in a statement released by Turki Al-Maliki, the coalition's spokesperson, referred to the security of the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims as a red line and emphasized that it would not hesitate to take necessary and deterrent measures against Houthi militants. The coalition also claimed that Saudi Arabia conducted 52 airstrikes on Yemen in the past 24 hours, some of which targeted civilian infrastructure.

Shahbaz Sharif, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, condemned the alleged attack on Mecca "in the strongest possible terms," describing it as "cowardly and heinous." He also expressed concern that the people of Pakistan are saddened by this outrageous act. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation, consisting of 57 Muslim countries, also condemned this alleged attack, calling it "heinous."

Saudi Arabia had previously issued short-term warnings about the possibility of an attack in Mecca and parts of the southern region of the country. These warnings are the first of their kind since the onset of the Middle East war in February and were issued amid an increase in missile and drone attacks from Yemen towards Saudi Arabia.

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