Abdulmalik al-Houthi, the leader of Yemen’s Houthis, rejected Saudi Arabia’s claim that the group’s forces attempted to target Mecca with a drone.

On Thursday, the 26th of Sunbula, he called the claim a “great accusation” and said that raising such a charge was aimed at creating pressure and encouraging other countries to directly enter into conflict with the Houthis.

Al-Houthi also added that the people of Yemen view this accusation as an action against themselves, and he accused Saudi Arabia of making a false and deliberate claim.

The Houthi leader emphasized that Islamic holy sites, including Mecca, hold a special place among the people of Yemen.

According to him, the people of Yemen hold protests and demonstrations in response to any insult to the Quran, the Prophet of Islam, or the holy sites.

He further accused Saudi Arabia of, in addition to using the support and participation of foreign countries in the Yemen war, trying to expand the scope of this conflict and bring more countries into the war.

These remarks come as the claim regarding the targeting of Mecca has become a sensitive issue in the disputes between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthis.