Saudi-led coalition says Houthis attacked power station in Madinah

Coalition spokesman says attack targeted Taibah electricity distribution station at 5:11 am Tuesday

The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Houthis said on Thursday the militant group had attacked a power distribution station ​in Medina this week, putting one transformer out of service ‌but without affecting the electricity network.

The coalition said an investigation and examination of drone wreckage confirmed Houthi involvement in planning and carrying out Tuesday's attack. It said the ​station supplies electricity to the Prophet's Mosque.

Coalition spokesman Maj Gen Turki al-Maliki said the attack targeted the Taibah electricity distribution station at 5:11am local time on Tuesday.

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An operational review and examination of debris from the drone established Houthi involvement in planning and carrying out what he described as a "cowardly terrorist act", Al-Maliki said.

The attack knocked one transformer out of service but did not affect the electricity grid, he added.

Al-Maliki said the facility provides electricity to the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah.

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A Houthi military source, quoted by the Houthi-run Saba news ⁠agency, denied the accusation, calling it a "lie" and saying it was intended ​to cover up what he described as Saudi Arabia's failure to substantiate ​its earlier accusation that the Houthis targeted Makkah.

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Saudi Arabia said two weeks ago it had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Makkah ​before it entered restricted airspace over the city. The coalition described that ​incident as the second Houthi attempt to target Makkah since 2017, while the Houthis ‌denied ⁠targeting Makkah or any other Islamic holy site.

The coalition said the Madinah attack was part of what it described as repeated Houthi attempts to target the Two Holy Mosques and "provoke" Muslims worldwide. It said it would continue ​taking measures to protect ​the holy sites ⁠and pilgrims.

The latest escalation is the most serious fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-aligned Houthis since a ​UN-brokered truce largely halted cross-border attacks in 2022. Hostilities ​resumed this ⁠year after the Houthis declared a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in July and began attacking Saudi territory and shipping, while Houthi forces also made major ⁠territorial ​gains along Yemen's Red Sea coast.

Saudi Arabia has ​responded with airstrikes in Yemen and backed government forces fighting to push back the Houthis.