Houthis deny targeting Mecca, accuse Saudis of lying

Leader of the Shia rebels in Yemen, Abdul Malik Badruddin Al-Houthi denied, Wednesday, Saudi claims that his forces had targeted Mecca with rockets, Thenewkhalij.news reported.

Al-Houthis described these claims as “lies.”

During a speech he delivered on Tuesday and broadcasted by Al-Maseera TV, Al-Houthi said his group and its allies announce their attacks clearly and they do not contradict Yemeni moral principles.

On Monday, the Saudi air defence said that it had intercepted two ballistic rockets; one over Al-Taif was heading to Mecca and the other over Jedda.

After the Saudi announcement, Saudis launched a campaign on social media accusing Houthis of attempting to target Mecca, which is currently hosting millions of Muslims pilgrims.

The Houthis denied this and accused Saudi Arabia of trying to “cover up the crimes committed against our people and exploit the religious status of Mecca.”

READ: Saudi coalition: Yemen’s Houthi drone targeted civilian facility

Al-Houthi claimed that Saudi Arabia has proved its military and political failure during its four years of war in Yemen. He noted that this was not the first time that Saudis claimed the Houthis had targeted Mecca.

Recently, the Houthis have escalated their attacks against Saudi Arabia as they targeted oil pipes in Riyadh and the airport of Najran twice on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, the spokesman of the Saudi-led campaign in Yemen announced the escalation of the Houthi attack.