Houthis accused of striking Madina power station

The Saudi-led coalition has accused Yemen’s Houthi movement of carrying out a drone attack on a power distribution station in Madina earlier this week.

According to the coalition, the attack damaged one transformer at the facility but did not disrupt the wider electricity network. The station supplies power to the area around the Prophet’s Mosque.

The coalition said an investigation, including an examination of recovered drone debris, indicated that the Houthis were responsible for planning and executing Tuesday’s attack.

The Houthis have rejected the allegation. A Houthi military official, quoted by the group’s Saba news agency, described the Saudi claim as false and accused Riyadh of trying to divert attention from what the group said was a lack of evidence over an earlier allegation involving Makkah.

Saudi Arabia had previously said it intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Makkah before it entered the city’s restricted airspace. Saudi authorities described the incident as the second alleged Houthi attempt to target Makkah since 2017.

The Houthis denied targeting Makkah or any other Islamic holy site.

The Saudi-led coalition said the latest incident was part of repeated attempts by the Houthis to threaten the Two Holy Mosques and provoke Muslims. It said security measures would continue to protect the holy sites and pilgrims.

The escalation marks a significant deterioration in Saudi-Houthi relations after a UN-brokered truce largely halted cross-border attacks in 2022.

Fighting has intensified again this year following Houthi attacks on Saudi territory and shipping. Saudi Arabia has responded with airstrikes in Yemen while supporting government forces battling the Houthis along the Red Sea coast.