Riyadh: The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation on Wednesday condemned what it described as “heinous” Houthi attacks on Makkah and the Madinah region, as the Yemen-based group denied targeting the Islamic holy sites.
“The General Secretariat of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) condemns the heinous attacks carried out by the Houthi group against the city of Makkah and the Madinah region, as well as its ongoing aggression against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” the organisation said in a statement.
The OIC’s statement came after Saudi Arabia’s air defences said they had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Makkah on Tuesday before it entered prohibited airspace over the holy city.
The Saudi-led coalition described the incident as the second Houthi attempt to target Makkah, following what it said was a ballistic missile launch towards the city in July 2017.
The Houthis have denied posing any threat to Makkah or other holy sites.
The latest escalation comes amid a surge in Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, with the group expanding its military activity along Yemen’s Red Sea coast and around the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Saudi Arabia has issued security alerts in several areas, including Makkah, Jeddah and Taif, as the renewed Yemen conflict increasingly overlaps with the wider regional war and threatens key maritime and energy routes.