STORY: Houthi supporters rallied in Sanaa on Friday (September 18) in support of the group's military campaign and to reject Saudi accusations that it had tried to strike the holy city of Mecca.

Footage by Houthi-run Al Masirah TV showed crowds chanting and raising weapons, flags, flyers of the Kaaba and portraits of the group's leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi.

The Houthis have fired repeatedly into Saudi Arabia over the past week causing alarms over cities in the south and west.

Riyadh said its air defences had shot down a Houthi drone south of Mecca on Tuesday (September 15) before it entered prohibited airspace over the holy city, an attack it said crossed a "red line" of threatening shrines sacred to all Muslims.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree denied the group had targeted Mecca, and said the Saudi reports were a set-up for propaganda purposes.

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Houthi supporters rally in Sanaa, celebrating advance

VIDEO SHOWS: HOUTHI SUPPORTERS GATHERING IN SANAA IN SUPPORT OF THE GROUP'S ADVANCE AND ITS DENIAL OF TARGETING THE HOLY CITY OF MECCA

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: SANAA, YEMEN (SEPTEMBER 18, 2026) (AL MASIRAH TV - Access all) (MUTE)

1. VARIOUS OF DRONE FOOTAGE OF MOSQUE, CROWDS GATHERING IN SUPPORT OF HOUTHI ADVANCEMENT AND THE GROUP'S DENIAL OF TARGETING THE HOLY CITY OF MECCA

SANAA, YEMEN (SEPTEMBER 18, 2026) (AL MASIRAH TV - Access all)

2. VARIOUS OF HOUTHI SUPPORTERS GATHERING, LISTENING TO PERSON GIVING SPEECH

3. CROWD CHANTING, RAISING WEAPONS, FLAGS, FLYERS OF KAABA AND PICTURES OF LEADER ABDUL MALIK AL-HOUTHI

4. CROWD REACHING TO TOUCH MODEL OF KAABA / AUDIO OF PERSON GIVING SPEECH

5. DRONE SHOT OF CROWD DURING RALLY

6. VARIOUS OF CROWD CHANTING, RAISING ARMS AND WEAPONS, AS PERSON GIVES SPEECH

7. DRONE SHOT OF CROWD DURING RALLY

8. CROWD CHANTING, RAISING ARMS, SIGNS AND WEAPONS

SANAA, YEMEN (SEPTEMBER 18, 2026) (AL MASIRAH TV - Access all) (MUTE)

9. CROWDS WALKING, PICTURE OF KAABA IN LARGE DISPLAY