The coalition supporting legitimacy in Yemen denied on Thursday the validity of the Houthi group’s announcement regarding the threat to Saudi Arabia to target tribal and civilian gatherings, stressing that these are false and baseless claims.
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The official spokesman for the coalition, Major General Turki al-Maliki, said in a statement on October 22 that these allegations are "false and baseless claims, and we deny them completely."
He added that these accusations, in their content and timing, reflect ongoing attempts to mislead public opinion and divert attention from the Houthis’ crises and practices, and to drag the sons of Yemeni tribes into the group’s conflicts.
Al-Maliki emphasized that the Yemeni tribe will remain an integral component of Yemen's social and historical fabric, and a bridge of communication between the Saudi and Yemeni peoples, who are bound by ties of religion, neighborliness, history, and a shared destiny. He affirmed that these bonds are too deep to be undermined by campaigns of misinformation or attempts to sow discord and animosity.
The coalition reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s steadfast position regarding the security and stability of Yemen, and its keenness to preserve the fraternal and historical relations with the Yemeni people, and to prevent the exploitation of tribes or their involvement in conflicts that contradict the aspirations of Yemenis for security, peace and development.
The Saudi denial comes after the Ministry of Defense of the internationally recognized Yemeni government warned, in a statement published on October 21, citizens in Houthi-controlled areas against participating in gatherings held under the names of "tribal mobilization," "mass mobilization," or "cultural courses."
The ministry said the Houthis are exploiting these gatherings to recruit children and young people and throw them into fighting, considering such gatherings as "legitimate military targets," and calling on civilians to stay away from them.
In response, Omar al-Bukhaiti, spokesman for the Houthi-affiliated government in Sana'a, accused Saudi Arabia of threatening tribal and civilian gatherings, considering this a plan to target civilians, and warning of an unprecedented response if these threats are carried out.
This dispute coincided with an escalation of confrontations , as the coalition announced on October 21 that it had intercepted drones heading towards Medina and the Eastern Province, while the Houthis denied carrying out military operations towards Saudi Arabia.