Saudi-led coalition accuses Houthis of attacking power station in Medina

The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthis said on Thursday that the group attacked a power distribution station in Medina earlier this week, damaging one transformer but causing no disruption to the wider electricity network.

The station supplies power to the Prophet’s Mosque, one of Islam’s holiest sites, according to the coalition.

Hours after the accusation, the Houthis reported that Saudi Arabia had carried out airstrikes on Yemen’s capital Sanaa and other parts of the country. Saudi authorities did not immediately confirm the reports.

The latest escalation marks the most serious confrontation between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-aligned Houthis since a UN-brokered truce largely ended cross-border attacks in 2022. Fighting has intensified this year after the Houthis announced a naval blockade targeting Saudi Arabia in July and launched attacks on Saudi territory and shipping, while also making significant territorial gains along Yemen’s Red Sea coast.

Saudi Arabia has responded with airstrikes in Yemen while supporting government forces battling the Houthis.

The coalition said an investigation, including an examination of recovered drone debris, confirmed that the Houthis were responsible for planning and carrying out Tuesday’s attack on the Medina power station. It said the facility provides electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque.

A Houthi military source, quoted by the group’s Saba news agency, rejected the allegation as a “lie” and accused Saudi Arabia of using it to divert attention from what the source called its failure to substantiate an earlier claim that the Houthis had targeted Mecca.

Two weeks ago, Saudi Arabia said it had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca before it could enter the city’s restricted airspace. The coalition described the incident as the second alleged Houthi attempt to target Mecca since 2017. The Houthis denied targeting Mecca or any other Islamic holy site.

The coalition said the Medina incident was part of what it described as repeated Houthi attempts to target Islam’s two holiest mosques and “provoke” Muslims around the world. It vowed to continue measures aimed at protecting the holy sites and pilgrims.

Later on Thursday, the Houthis said Saudi Arabia had conducted strikes on Sanaa as well as the provinces of Saada, Taiz and Amran, according to their news agency. There was no immediate confirmation from Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces said on X that they had carried out more than two dozen airstrikes against Houthi positions in Taiz, targeting missile storage facilities, command centres and other military sites.

If confirmed, the reported strikes on Sanaa would be the first since July, when Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces targeted the runway at Sanaa airport to prevent an Iranian aircraft from landing.