Saudi Arabia’s King Salman slams targeting of Mecca by ‘terrorist’ Houthis

Saudi monarch’s rare condemnation hints at sense of urgency in the kingdom amid ramped-up attacks from Yemen.Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has branded Yemen’s armed Houthi movement a “terrorist militia” and accused the Iran-allied group of repeatedly targeting the holy city of Mecca.The 90-year-old Saudi monarch made the comments during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.It was a rare sharp intervention in current affairs by the king, as most day-to-day affairs are led by his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.Deadly Houthi attacks this month have marked one of the greatest threats to Saudi Arabia’s security in years.King Salman called the suspected Houthi targeting of the holy city a “heinous crime” and a provocation against Muslim sentiment worldwide, according to SPA.Last week, Saudi Arabia said it had intercepted a drone launched by the Houthis towards Mecca, an accusation that the Houthis strongly denied, with Houthi leader Abdel-Malik al-Houthi calling the Saudi claims “a heinous lie”.It was the first time in nearly 10 years that a security alert had been activated in Mecca, home to the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest site.The Saudi monarch commended the military and security services for “defending the homeland and resolutely confronting any aggression against the holy sites, pilgrims, citizens and residents of the Kingdom”.Saudi cities targetedKing Salman also cited a meeting between the crown prince and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Cairo last week, as well as his conversations with French President Emmanuel Macron on “efforts to enhance regional stability and ensure the security and freedom of maritime navigation”.