The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthis has accused the Yemeni militant group of carrying out a drone attack on a power distribution station in Medina, escalating tensions around one of Islam’s holiest cities.
The coalition said the attack took place at about 5:11 a.m. on Tuesday, September 29, targeting the Taibah electricity distribution station in Medina. According to its spokesperson, Major General Turki Al-Malki, an investigation and examination of the wreckage of the drone used in the attack confirmed Houthi involvement.
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Reuters reported that one power transformer was taken out of service in the attack, but the coalition said there was no disruption to the wider electricity network. The station supplies electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque, the coalition said, describing the facility as a civilian site serving one of Islam’s holiest places.
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The coalition accused the Houthis of continuing efforts to target the Two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Medina, and said the attacks were aimed at provoking Muslims worldwide. It also said it would continue measures to protect the holy sites and pilgrims.
The Houthis, however, rejected the accusation.
A Houthi military source quoted by the Houthi-run Saba news agency called the Saudi allegation a “lie”. The source said the accusation was intended to divert attention from what it described as Saudi Arabia’s failure to substantiate an earlier claim that the Houthis had targeted Makkah.
Saudi Arabia had said about two weeks ago that it intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Makkah before it entered restricted airspace over the city. The Saudi-led coalition described that incident as the second Houthi attempt to target Makkah since 2017.
The Houthis denied targeting Makkah or any other Islamic holy site.
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The latest incident comes amid a broader escalation between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-aligned Houthis. Cross-border attacks had largely been halted by a UN-brokered truce in 2022, but fighting resumed this year after the Houthis declared a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in July and began attacks on Saudi territory and shipping.
Houthi forces have also made significant territorial gains along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, Reuters reported. Saudi Arabia has responded with airstrikes in Yemen while supporting government forces fighting the Houthis.
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