Saudi-led coalition accuses Houthis of attacking Medina power station

Saudi Arabia-Houthi tensions have sharply escalated after the Saudi-led coalition accused Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis of attacking a power distribution station in Medina, one of Islam's holiest cities.

The coalition said the attack took place on Tuesday and damaged one transformer at the station, which supplies electricity to the Prophet's Mosque. However, it said the incident did not affect the wider electricity network.

The coalition said an investigation and examination of drone wreckage had confirmed that the Houthis planned and carried out the attack. It accused the group of repeatedly attempting to target the Two Holy Mosques and of seeking to provoke Muslims worldwide.

The Houthis denied the accusation, with a military source quoted by the Houthi-run Saba news agency calling it a "lie". The source accused Saudi Arabia of trying to cover up what it described as its failure to substantiate an earlier allegation that the Houthis had targeted Mecca.

Two weeks ago, Saudi Arabia said it had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca before it entered restricted airspace over the Muslim holy city. The Saudi-led coalition called it the second alleged Houthi attempt to target Mecca since 2017. The Houthis denied targeting Mecca or any other Islamic holy site.

Hours after the coalition's latest accusation, the Houthis reported Saudi airstrikes on Sanaa and several other parts of Yemen. Saudi Arabia did not immediately confirm the reports.

The Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces, however, said on X that they had carried out more than two dozen airstrikes against Houthi positions in Taiz. The strikes reportedly targeted missile storage facilities, command centres and other military sites.

The reported strike on Sanaa, if confirmed, would be the first since July, when Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces struck the runway at Sanaa airport to prevent an Iranian aircraft from landing.

The latest escalation marks the most serious Saudi-Houthi fighting since a UN-brokered truce in 2022 largely halted cross-border attacks.

Hostilities resumed this year after the Houthis declared a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in July and began attacking Saudi territory and shipping. Houthi forces have also made significant territorial gains along Yemen's Red Sea coast.

Saudi Arabia has responded with airstrikes in Yemen while supporting government forces battling the Houthis.

The coalition said it would continue taking measures to protect the holy sites and pilgrims amid what it described as repeated attempts to target them.- Ends