Mecca and Medina mosque imams condemn Houthi attacks

Saudi religious leaders have condemned attacks on holy sites and civilians. AnewZ reported the statements came after Saudi authorities said they had intercepted two ballistic missiles launched toward the Mecca and Medina regions.

According to Saudi state broadcaster Al Ekhbariya, Abdulrahman al-Sudais, head of the Religious Affairs Administration at the Grand Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, and Saleh al-Maghamsi, imam of the Prophet’s Mosque, commented on the incident. The report said missile debris fell near Mecca.

Al-Sudais said targeting holy sites, civilians and civilian facilities violated religious principles, was condemned on humanitarian grounds and contravened international conventions and norms.

Al-Maghamsi condemned what he described as the Houthis’ attempts to target the two holy mosques and other sacred sites. He said such actions contradicted the religious principle that these places must be respected and provide people with a safe refuge.

Al Ekhbariya said debris from an intercepted missile fell in the Wadi al-Mughammas area of Mecca. The area is about 21 kilometers east of the Grand Mosque and around seven kilometers from Arafat. The report described Wadi al-Mughammas as an open-air leisure area surrounded by residential neighborhoods.

Saudi Arabia’s General Directorate of Civil Defense said two ballistic missiles launched from Yemen toward the Mecca and Medina regions had been intercepted and neutralized in the air. Saudi officials linked the launches to the Iran-backed Houthis.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree denied that the group had attacked Mecca or Medina. He rejected the allegations in a statement posted on the X platform.