The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan has strongly condemned an attempted attack using an unmanned aerial vehicle recorded in Saudi Arabia and directed at the city of Mecca. The MFA press service reported this.
“We express our full solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and consider any actions threatening holy sites, civilians, and civilian infrastructure unacceptable,” the statement reads. The ministry called on “all parties to exercise maximum restraint, strictly comply with international law, and respect the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of states.”
The MFA, in turn, stated that Uzbekistan supports efforts aimed at reducing tensions, preventing the further spread of the conflict, and ensuring peace, security, and stability in the region.
According to BBC News, a representative of the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, Turki al-Maliki, stated on the evening of September 15 that a Houthi-owned drone was intercepted and destroyed south of the holy city of Mecca. Al-Maliki emphasized that targeting Mecca, which houses Islam's holiest site and is the center of the Hajj pilgrimage, is a “shameful act.”
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation, uniting 57 states, described attacks on Mecca and the Medina region, where Islam's second holiest site is located, as “unacceptable and intolerable excess.” In turn, the Houthi group, which controls much of western Yemen and is supported by Iran, denied targeting Mecca, accusing Saudi Arabia of spreading “fabrications and lies.”
“There is no threat from Yemen to the holy sites. Our operations are directed at their oil facilities and military bases, which are far from the holy places,” said military spokesman Yahya Sari. He also added that the Houthis had launched drones and missiles at Saudi Arabia over the past week in response to more than 450 airstrikes carried out by the Saudi side on their territory.
A few days earlier, Uzbekistan's MFA also expressed deep concern after a rocket and drone attack from Iraq targeted Saudi Arabia's strategic East-West oil pipeline, halting its operations. The ministry also sharply condemned the use of force against the region's energy infrastructure.
Source: www.gazeta.uz