Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement allegedly carried out a drone strike on an electricity distribution station in the holy city of Medina, the Saudi-led coalition said Thursday, drawing condemnation from several Muslim-majority countries and institutions.
The Houthis denied responsibility for the alleged attack.
According to the coalition, a drone hit the Taibah electricity distribution station in Medina at 5:11am on 29 September. The facility supplies electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque, one of Islam’s holiest sites, reports AFP.
Coalition spokesperson Major General Turki al-Maliki said an investigation, including an examination of the drone wreckage and an assessment conducted after the incident, had established what he described as Houthi involvement.
“The investigation and evidence gathered by the competent authorities have confirmed the involvement of the Terrorist Houthi Militia,” he said in a statement.
The strike reportedly damaged one transformer and temporarily took it out of service, but the wider electricity network was not affected.
Maliki described the incident as an attack on civilian infrastructure serving the Prophet’s Mosque and accused the Houthis of continuing efforts to target Islam’s two holiest sites.
Medina, where the Prophet Muhammad is buried and where the Prophet’s Mosque is located, is considered one of Islam’s holiest cities, alongside Mecca.
Fighting intensifies in Yemen
The allegation came as fighting intensified elsewhere in Yemen.
AFP correspondents reported hearing powerful explosions in Sanaa, the Houthi-controlled capital, on Thursday evening. Yemen’s internationally recognised government said its forces had carried out strikes against Houthi positions in Sanaa, Saada and Taiz.
A military spokesperson said the forces conducted what he called a “high-value targeting operation” in Sanaa and hit 11 targets in Saada.
He also said 27 air strikes targeted what he described as an “integrated military system” operated by the Houthis in Taiz.
The Houthis control Sanaa and large parts of Yemen’s Red Sea coastline. Since Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen’s civil war in 2015, the group has repeatedly launched missiles and drones towards Saudi territory.
However, attacks involving Islam’s holy cities have been relatively uncommon.
A senior Houthi official on Thursday again rejected claims that the group had targeted Islamic holy sites, according to Houthi-affiliated media.
International condemnation
Turkey condemned what it described as the Houthi attack and expressed support for Saudi Arabia.
“We strongly condemn the Houthis’ attack on civilian infrastructure” in Medina, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said.
It called for an immediate end to “provocative attacks”, saying they threatened Saudi sovereignty and security while targeting sites of importance to Muslims worldwide.
Qatar also condemned the reported strike, describing it as a serious violation of the sanctity of Islamic holy sites, Saudi sovereignty and international law.
Doha reaffirmed its solidarity with Riyadh and said Saudi Arabia’s security was closely linked to the security of the Gulf region.
The League of Arab States also condemned the incident, calling it “an unacceptable transgression” and warning that an attack on Medina could inflame Muslim sentiment worldwide and mark a dangerous escalation.
Al-Azhar, the prominent Sunni Islamic institution based in Cairo, likewise denounced the reported incident, saying that any targeting of Medina would provoke Muslims around the world.
