Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia carried out a drone attack on a power distribution station in the Saudi city of Medina earlier this week, the Saudi-led coalition said on Thursday.
Coalition spokesman Brig. Gen. Turki al-Maliki said the Houthis targeted the Taibah electricity distribution station on Tuesday, damaging a transformer and knocking it out of service, Al Arabiya English reported.
The attack did not disrupt the wider electricity grid, he said. The coalition said an investigation and examination of debris from the drone had established that the Houthis were responsible for the attack.
It said the station was among the facilities providing electricity services to the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, one of Islam’s holiest sites.
The coalition accused the Houthis of deliberately seeking to provoke the sentiments of millions of Muslims around the world by targeting sites associated with Islam’s two holiest mosques. It said it would continue taking measures to deter the Houthis and ensure the protection of the holy sites.
The announcement comes amid heightened tensions between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, who have launched renewed attacks against the Kingdom in recent weeks.
King Salman earlier this month condemned what he described as repeated Houthi attempts to violate the sanctity of Islamic holy sites, after Saudi authorities said the militia had attempted to target Mecca.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also said in his annual address to the Shura Council on Wednesday that the Kingdom would not hesitate to respond “decisively” to threats or attacks against its security, while stressing Riyadh’s efforts to reduce regional tensions and pursue diplomatic solutions.
