![Houthis gather at Sabeen Square to hold a demonstration in support of Houthi leader in Yemen Abdul Malik al-Houthi's statements in Sanaa, Yemen on July 17, 2026. [Mohammed Hamoud - Anadolu Agency]](https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/AA-20260717-42002739-42002736-HOUTHIS_PROTEST_IN_SANAA_IN_SUPPORT_OF_ALHOUTHIS_STATEMENTS.jpg)
The Houthi group on Wednesday denied targeting Mecca with a drone, after the Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted a drone south of the holy city before it entered restricted airspace. Mohammed Al-Farah, a member of the Houthis’ political office, said the claim that Yemen had targeted Mecca was “an outright lie with no basis in truth”, according to the Houthi-run Saba news agency. “We are more concerned about Mecca and the holy sites than those who exploit them politically,” he said, accusing Saudi Arabia of using the allegation “to divert attention from the crisis it is facing in Yemen”. Al-Farah said Saudi Arabia was facing a “real dilemma” in Yemen after becoming involved in what he described as a […]
