Shafaq News- Sanaa

Yemen’s Houthi (Ansarallah) leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi on Thursday rejected Saudi Arabia’s accusation that the group attempted to target Mecca, calling it a “major lie,” while accusing Riyadh of using the allegation to rally regional and international support against the Houthis.

In a televised address, Al-Houthi said Yemenis would not target Islamic holy sites and accused Saudi Arabia of trying to damage the group’s image among Muslims after Riyadh said its air defenses destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca.

Saudi Arabia said the drone was intercepted on Tuesday before entering restricted airspace over Islam’s holiest city. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree denied that the group had targeted Mecca, describing the Saudi account as propaganda.

Al-Houthi also criticized governments and organizations that condemned the alleged attack, accusing them of accepting Saudi Arabia’s account without verification.

He said those condemnations had wronged Yemen and its armed forces and argued that governments should, at minimum, have sought evidence before taking a position.

Al-Houthi further alleged that some countries’ relations with Saudi Arabia were driven by financial interests and “petrodollars,” accusing Riyadh of seeking to draw other states into the conflict.

On the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen, Al-Houthi claimed more than 2,000 mosques had been struck over the years, including historic mosques far from front lines. He also cited alleged attacks on a center for the blind in Sanaa, cemeteries and archaeological sites.

He described such incidents as part of a sustained policy rather than isolated cases and said the Houthis possessed documents and evidence supporting their accusations.

United Nations investigators and rights organizations have documented strikes by the Saudi-led coalition on civilian and cultural sites during Yemen’s war, as well as violations committed by the Houthis and other parties.

The Houthi leader also accused the United States of playing a direct supporting role in Saudi military operations, claiming around 200 American military experts were involved in a joint structure overseeing operations against Yemen.

He further alleged that American, British and Israeli experts were involved in managing Saudi operations and said Saudi forces were using US-made aircraft and munitions.

Al-Houthi said Riyadh was seeking wider international and regional involvement in the conflict to compensate for “military setbacks.”

His remarks came amid a sharp escalation between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, with the group claiming missile and drone attacks on Saudi military and energy targets while Saudi-backed forces and aircraft intensify operations in Yemen.

On Thursday, Saudi Civil Defense said debris from an intercepted drone killed a Yemeni resident and injured a Saudi national and a Pakistani resident in Taif. Saudi authorities attributed the drone to the Houthis.