Saudi-led coalition says Houthis attacked power station in Medina

The ​Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Houthis said on Thursday the militant group had attacked a power distribution station in Medina this ‌week, putting one transformer out of service but without affecting the electricity network.

The coalition said an investigation and examination of drone wreckage confirmed Houthi involvement in planning and carrying out Tuesday's attack. ‌It said the station supplies electricity to the Prophet's Mosque, one of Islam's holiest ‌sites. There was no immediate comment from the Houthis on the coalition's statement.

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 said 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.

The latest escalation is the most ⁠serious ​fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-aligned 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.