Qatar Condemns Houthi Attack on Mecca: ‘A Shameful Act of Aggression’

Qatar strongly condemned the drone attack carried out by Yemen’s Houthis targeting the holy city of Mecca, calling it “a shameful act of aggression.” The statement was made by Qatar’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday, according to Al Jazeera’s reporting.

“The sanctity and security of the holy sites and the safety of their visitors must not be targeted, threatened or used in conflicts,” the ministry’s statement said. Qatar also expressed full support for Saudi Arabia’s measures “to protect security, territory, Islamic holy sites and pilgrims.”

The attack comes a day after Saudi Arabia announced that its air defense had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi-launched drone heading toward Mecca. The Houthis denied targeting the holy site, calling the Saudi accusation “a despicable lie.”

Qatar’s condemnation adds to growing international reactions to the Houthi escalation: the Organization of Islamic Cooperation condemned the attacks on Mecca and Medina, while the U.S. embassy warned its citizens in Saudi Arabia to avoid the border area with Yemen.

Qatar, which plays a mediating role in several of the region’s crises, thus joins the chorus of Gulf countries condemning the Houthi attacks, at a time when the Iran-backed group has tightened its control over the Red Sea coast and the Bab al-Mandeb strait.

Source: Al Jazeera