Saudi-led coalition accuses Houthis of Medina power station attack

The Saudi-led coalition on Thursday accused Yemen's Houthi movement of orchestrating a drone strike against an electricity distribution station in Medina, saying the early-morning assault targeted infrastructure serving Islam's second-holiest site. Coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki said the strike hit the Taibah facility at 5:11 a.m. local time on Tuesday.

An operational review and examination of debris confirmed Houthi involvement in planning and executing the attack, according to the coalition. Al-Maliki described the incident as a "cowardly terrorist act," adding that the damage was limited to one transformer knocked out of service without affecting the wider electricity grid.

Holy sites targeted

Al-Maliki emphasized that the damaged station provides electricity to the Prophet's Mosque. He accused the Houthis of deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure while attempting to provoke Muslims by striking at the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. The coalition will continue taking measures to deter such attacks and protect the two holy mosques as well as visitors to the cities, he stated.

No Houthi comment

The Houthi movement did not immediately comment on the coalition's accusations. Cross-border attacks have persisted since Riyadh launched its military intervention in Yemen's civil war in 2015, with the Iran-aligned group previously targeting oil facilities and airports across the kingdom.