Saudi-led coalition accuses Houthis of striking Medina power station

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis struck an electricity distribution station in the holy city of Medina in Saudi Arabia, the Saudi-led coalition said Thursday, sparking strong condemnation from the Muslim world.

The alleged attack came as fighting intensifies in Yemen, where government forces said they carried out attacks on Houthi targets and AFP journalists heard explosions in the Houthi-held capital Sanaa.

The Saudi-led coalition said a drone struck Medina’s Taibah electricity distribution station, which provides power to the Prophet’s Mosque, as the Houthis denied involvement.

Medina, the burial place of the Prophet Mohammed and home to the Prophet’s Mosque, is one of Islam’s holiest cities alongside Mecca.

Coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Maliki said a drone struck the Taibah electricity distribution station at 5:11 am (0211 GMT) on September 29.

“The investigation and evidence gathered by the competent authorities have confirmed the involvement of the Terrorist Houthi Militia in planning and executing this cowardly terrorist act, based on after-action review and the wreckage of the drone used,” he said in a statement.

Read more: Euronews