Saudi Grand Mufti Urges Troops to Stay United Against Houthis

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti, Sheikh Saleh bin Fawzan Al-Fawzan, called on troops stationed at the border and coalition forces fighting the Houthis in Yemen to remain patient, steadfast and vigilant, following their commanders’ orders. He described the Houthis as a threat to regional stability and urged soldiers to be ready to sacrifice their lives to defend the kingdom.
The statement followed recent Houthi attacks on Saudi territory. On September 14, ballistic missile and drone strikes on Khamis Mushait, Abha and Taif wounded 13 civilians. On Thursday, the Houthis claimed to have fired dozens of missiles and drones at Saudi targets, while Saudi forces reported intercepting six ballistic missiles.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan have begun preparing for an emergency high-level military meeting under the Mecca Defense Pact. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Pakistani Deputy PM Ishaq Dar, and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met in New York to discuss the move. The pact, signed in Mecca on August 7, 2026, stipulates that an armed attack on any one of the three nations will be treated as an attack on all three.