The head of Islam’s holiest sites on Sunday condemned repeated ballistic missile and drone attacks by Yemen’s Houthi militia toward Makkah and Madinah. Sheikh Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Sudais warned that the security and sanctity of the Two Holy Mosques are a red line.
Al-Sudais, president of Religious Affairs at the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque, said the persistent assaults show the criminal approach and malicious intent of the militia toward Muslims and their sacred places. The Saudi Press Agency carried his statement. He described the strikes as a flagrant violation of Sharia law, which commands the protection of sacred sites, and an affront to international humanitarian norms.
His rebuke followed a heavy wave of cross-border fire on Saturday. Saudi air defenses intercepted two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis toward the Makkah and Madinah regions.
The Saudi General Directorate of Civil Defense stated that response teams handled falling debris across several western localities. These included Wadi Al-Mughammas in Makkah, the Al-Nuzha neighborhood in Jeddah, Wadi Jalil in Taif, and the Masturah Center in Rabigh.
Military defenses stayed on high alert into early Sunday. The Houthis launched armed drones targeting the Riyadh region, according to Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Malki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen.
Al-Malki reported that air defenses intercepted and destroyed two drones targeting Riyadh. The first strike occurred shortly past 1 a.m. And the second around 5 a.m.
Shortly after 6 a.m., the Saudi Civil Defense sounded an alarm, warning of an aerial threat targeting the capital city.
The overnight drone incursions extended a wide-ranging barrage on Saturday. Saudi air defense batteries destroyed two ballistic missiles aimed at Taif and Yanbu, an incoming missile bound for Riyadh, and an aerial drone in the Eastern Region during the assault.
Despite the renewed strikes, authorities moved forward on Sunday with the partial reopening of Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport. Limited service resumed two weeks after an Oct. 10 Houthi strike killed 13 people and wounded more than 300.
Airport officials announced that Terminal 1 had reopened for domestic travel and Terminal 2 for international flights by national carriers. They advised passengers to confirm itineraries before departing for the airport.
Al-Sudais commended the defensive readiness of the Kingdom. He declared that the aggression would not undermine Saudi Arabia’s stability, but would only reinforce the resolve of its leadership and armed forces to safeguard holy sites and pilgrims.
