Saudi-led coalition says Houthis attacked power station in Medina that supplies holy site

The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis says the group attacked a power distribution station in Medina this week, putting one transformer out of service but without affecting the electricity network.

The coalition says an investigation and examination of drone wreckage confirms Houthi involvement in planning and carrying out Tuesday’s attack. It says the station supplies electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque, one of Islam’s holiest sites.

A Houthi military source, quoted by the Houthi-run Saba news agency, denies 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 the Muslim holy city of Mecca.

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

The coalition says the Medina 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.