The Saudi-led coalition says a Houthi-launched drone struck an electricity distribution station in Medina on Tuesday, damaging a transformer but leaving the wider grid intact. The targeted facility reportedly supplied power to the Prophet's Mosque. The Houthi-run SABA agency dismissed the accusation as a fabrication. The incident comes amid a recent spike in cross-border attacks, including a reported drone interception near Mecca.
Saudi-Led Coalition Says Houthi Drone Struck Medina Power Station Near Prophet's Mosque
FILE PHOTO - Muslims visit Al-Masjid an-Nabawi after completing the Hajj pilgrimage. (is associated with: «Saudi-led alliance says Yemen's Houthis targeted Muslim holy city») Ashraf Amra/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
The Saudi-led coalition on Thursday accused Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement of launching a drone strike on an electricity distribution station in the Muslim holy city of Medina earlier this week.
Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said the attack occurred on Tuesday and put one power transformer out of service. He added that the wider electricity network was not affected and that the targeted facility supplied power to the Prophet's Mosque, Islam's second-holiest site.
Claims and Denials
Al-Maliki described the incident as a "terrorist act" and emphasized the station's role in supplying electricity to worshippers from around the world. The coalition did not report any casualties in connection with the strike.
The Houthi-run SABA news agency cited a militia military source who dismissed the Saudi accusation as "baseless," calling it "a lie and a gross fabrication." According to SABA, the claim was intended to distract from an earlier disputed allegation about an incident near Mecca.
Regional Context
The accusation follows a reported interception last month by Saudi air defences of a drone near Mecca—an allegation the Houthis denied. Saudi Arabia, which backs Yemen's internationally recognized government, has conducted airstrikes against the Houthis as part of a broader coalition effort. In recent weeks the Houthis have stepped up cross-border attacks as the conflict in Yemen escalates once again.
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