Top Islamic body condemns alleged Houthi Mecca-bound missile attack

Al-Azhar Institute, a world top body for Sunni Islamic learning in Egypt, condemned on Saturday an alleged Houthi missile attack targeting Saudi Arabia's holy Muslim city of Mecca.

"This is a blatant criminal act, an unprecedented serious offense and an outrageous challenge by those of sectarian agendas who seek to dominate the Arab world," said Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed al-Tayyib in a statement.

He described firing a ballistic missile towards Mecca, the holiest city for Muslims, as transgression against all religious, moral and human principles.

The Saudi-led coalition claimed Thursday that its forces intercepted a ballistic missile flying towards Mecca from Yemen, and accused the Houthis of firing it.

However, a Houthi military spokesman denied the allegation on Friday, saying the missile targeted a Saudi airport in the Red Sea city of Jeddah.

The situation in Yemen has been worsening since March 2015, when the war broke out between the Shiite Houthi group supported by former President Ali Abdullash Saleh and the government backed by a Saudi-led military Arab coalition.

Houthis' and Saleh's forces hold most of Yemen's northern regions while the government forces take control of the rest of the country, including seven southern provinces.

Humanitarian agencies said the civil war has so far left more than 10,000 dead, 35,000 wounded and two million displaced.

A UN-brokered 72-hour truce between the Houthis and Saudi-led coalition came into effect last week, but the coalition accused the Houthis of violating it shortly after its implementation. Endit