Grand Mosque imam condemns Houthi attacks on Islamic holy sites

Imams at Makkah's Grand Mosque and Madinah's Prophet's Mosque denounced Houthi attacks on the Two Holy Mosques, branding such acts as "grave crimes" and a betrayal of religious and humanitarian principles. Sheikh Bandar Baleelah, the Grand Mosque's imam, warned that targeting the sanctity of the holy sites and the lives of innocents is a violation of Islam's core teachings and a threat to the unity of Muslims.

He declared that any attempt to terrorize Muslims and assault their holiest places is wholly incompatible with Islamic principles. Baleelah vowed that the land of the Two Holy Mosques would become even more steadfast and united in the face of such aggression, reaffirming that Saudi Arabia remains the qibla for Muslims, unshaken by the animosity of the enemy.

At the Prophet's Mosque, Sheikh Abdulmohsen Al-Qasim echoed Baleelah's condemnation, emphasizing that Houthi assaults on Makkah and Madinah are emblematic of a terrorist agenda that seeks to massacre fellow Muslims and instill fear in peaceful communities. This Friday sermon came in the aftermath of Saudi air defenses successfully intercepting a Houthi drone south of Makkah on Tuesday evening, just before it entered the holy city's restricted airspace.

The Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen reported that this was the Houthis' second attempt to target Makkah, following a ballistic missile launch in July 2017.