MEDINA: Saudi Arabia’s Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen accused the Houthis on Thursday of a Medina drone strike on a power station serving the Prophet’s Mosque. The movement denied involvement.
According to the coalition, the attack hit the Taibah electricity distribution station and disabled one transformer. It said the wider electricity network was not disrupted.
Coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Maliki dated the attack to Tuesday. He said investigators examined drone wreckage and established Houthi involvement in planning and carrying out the strike.
The movement’s Saba news agency quoted a Houthi military source who rejected the accusation. The Houthis denied targeting Islamic holy sites.
In Yemen, Agence France-Presse (AFP) correspondents heard explosions in the Houthi-held capital, Sanaa, on Thursday evening. Military officials from the internationally recognised government reported strikes against Houthi targets there and in Saada and Taiz.
A government military spokesman claimed attacks on 11 targets in Saada and 27 air strikes in Taiz. Houthi officials described the attacks as Saudi strikes. Riyadh had not immediately confirmed that account.
Separately, the coalition claimed it intercepted a Houthi ballistic missile heading towards Khamis Mushait in southern Saudi Arabia. It provided no immediate details on casualties or damage.
Local officials told Reuters that missiles and drones targeted the coalition’s command headquarters in Aden early on Friday. Neither the coalition nor the Houthis immediately commented on the reported attack.
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Turkey’s Foreign Ministry condemned the alleged Medina attack and urged steps to prevent further escalation. Qatar expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia.
The League of Arab States and Egypt’s Al-Azhar condemned the incident.
Coalition officials pledged to continue measures to protect Islamic holy sites and pilgrims.
(With input from Arab News)
