“It embodies a criminal approach.” The preachers of the Two Holy Mosques comment on the Houthis’ attempt to target Mecca

On Friday, the preachers of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque commented on the attempt of the Houthi rebels in Yemen to target the Holy City of Mecca with a drone. The preacher of the Grand Mosque, Sheikh Bandar Balila, said in his Friday sermon, “Violating the security of the holy sites and the blood of innocent people is a red line, and the approach of the terrorist Houthi group is evidence of its deviation and misguided ideology.”

The preacher of the Grand Mosque explained that "the Houthi terrorist group's targeting of Islamic holy sites and safe cities, especially Mecca and Medina, embodies a criminal approach stripped of the values ​​of religion and humanity." Sheikh Bandar Balila pointed out that “the Houthi terrorist group’s actions are criminal, violate the sanctity of the Blessed Bekaa and terrorize Muslims,” according to what was reported by the Saudi Al-Ikhbariya channel through its official account on the “X” platform, previously Twitter.

He said, "Whoever dares to target the Sacred House of God and the Mosque of His Prophet has no connection to Islam, and this rogue group uses religion as a cover for corruption and terrorizing the innocent." Sheikh Bandar Balila added: “The Kingdom will remain the qibla of the people of Islam, resistant to the hatred of the haters and the deceit of the cunning ones, and will be preserved by God’s care and then by the nation’s awareness and cohesion.”

Sheikh Bandar concluded by saying: “May God protect the Kingdom, perpetuate the blessing of security, faith, and stability, and protect it from the plots, evil, and temptations of the aggressors.” For his part, the preacher of the Prophet’s Mosque, Sheikh Abdul Mohsen Al-Qasim, said in the Friday sermon, “The Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque are two great and secure sanctuaries that were loved by the Messenger of God, and assaulting them is a great crime in the eyes of God,” according to what was reported by the Saudi Al-Ikhbariya channel.

Sheikh Abdul Mohsen Al-Qasim added: “The aggressive actions carried out by the terrorist Houthi group in attacking them reflect its terrorist approach in desiring the blood of Muslims and intimidating the safe.” The “Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen,” headed by Saudi Arabia, announced on Wednesday that air defenses “intercepted and destroyed a drone launched by the Houthi militia (backed by Iran in Yemen) that attempted to enter the airspace of Mecca.”

For its part, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement, on Wednesday, that it condemns and denounces "the terrorist Houthi militia's launching of an enemy drone towards the Holy City of Mecca." The ministry added, "This cowardly terrorist attack against the Sacred Land, the land of the Message, the place of revelation, and the qibla of Muslims, is a repetition of the practices of the terrorist Houthi militia in targeting and violating the holy sites, and a provocation to the feelings of Muslims in various parts of the world."

The military spokesman for the Houthi rebels, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, denied on Wednesday that the Houthi group had targeted the city of Mecca.