Wave of Anger in the Islamic World over Attempt to Target Mecca

Al-Taj News – As military confrontations intensified between Ansar Allah (the Houthis), on the one hand, and the Yemeni government and the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen, led by Saudi Arabia, on the other, the announcement by Coalition spokesperson Major General Turki Al-Malki that the Houthis had attempted to target Mecca sparked widespread anger across the Islamic world, with attacks condemned and the holy sites described as a red line.

In a statement early Wednesday, Al-Malki said that Saudi Arabia had successfully intercepted and destroyed an enemy drone launched by the Houthis on Tuesday evening, before it entered the restricted airspace over Mecca.

Al-Malki explained that the attack could only be described as a “disgraceful act” in an attempt to target “the birthplace of revelation, the land of the message, and the place toward which the hearts of millions of Muslims from various countries turn,” as well as an attempt to terrorize the pilgrims and visitors to the Sacred House of Allah and harm citizens and residents.

Al-Malki added that this “hostile and terrorist attempt” was the second attempt to target Mecca, following the first attempt when a ballistic missile was launched on July 27, 2017.