The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthis said on Thursday that the Houthis attacked a power distribution station in Madina this week, putting one transformer out of service but without affecting the electricity network. The coalition stated that an investigation and examination of drone wreckage confirmed Houthi involvement in planning and carrying out Tuesday’s attack. It added that the station supplies electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque.
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. 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 Madina 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 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.
The attack on the power station in Madina marks a significant deterioration in relations, with both sides trading accusations over strikes on holy sites. The coalition’s claims of Houthi involvement in the Madina attack, based on drone wreckage analysis, stand in contrast to the Houthi denial. The situation remains tense as Saudi Arabia continues its military efforts to protect the holy sites and pilgrims, while the Houthis maintain their denial of targeting any Islamic holy site.
Source: Dawn News