Muslim nations condemn heinous attacks after Houthi drone downed near Mecca

Saudi Arabia’s air defenses downed a Houthi drone on Tuesday south of Mecca, outside the prohibited airspace over the city, Saudi-led military coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki said in a statement on Wednesday, according to Reuters.It was the second Houthi attempt to target the city after a ballistic missile launch in July 2017.Houthi officials denied responsibility for the attack, Reuters reported.Mecca is home to the cube-shaped stone building known as the Kaaba, which is the holiest shrine in Islam.The Organization of Islamic Cooperation, headquartered in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday condemned the “heinous attacks” carried out by the Iranian-backed Houthis against the “city of Makkah and the Madinah region.”These attacks “instill fear in innocent civilians, violate the sanctity of holy sites and mosques, and provoke the sentiment of Muslims around the world,” the organization that comprises 58 nation-states, most of which are predominantly Muslim, stated on X.The OIC further expressed its support “for all measures taken by the [Saudi] Kingdom to deter the aggressors.”The Saudi-led coalition is a group of nine nations from the Middle East and North Africa, led by Riyadh, which started military operations in March 2015 against the Houthi rebels in support of the recognized government of Yemen.Also on Wednesday, the Houthis said they shot down a Saudi fighter jet, claiming a locally made munition was used to target the warplane, according to AFP.“The Yemeni Armed Forces, with Allah’s aid and grace, succeeded in shooting down a Saudi F15 fighter jet while it was carrying out hostile operations in support of its military mobilizations in the airspace of Marib province, using a locally made air-to-air missile,” the report cited a spokesman for the Houthis as saying on social media.The Houthi proxy group has made military strides in recent days, taking control of Yemen’s Red Sea coast and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, AFP reported on ...