A Saudi-led coalition blamed Houthi forces for a drone strike against a power distribution station supplying the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, damaging a transformer while leaving the wider electrical grid intact.
Coalition Blames Houthi Forces for Medina Strike
Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki stated that the strike on the Taiba electricity distribution facility occurred shortly after 5:00 a.m. local time on September 29. Investigators recovered drone debris from the scene that officials said linked Houthi rebels to the planning and execution of the operation. The installation provides power to Al-Masjid an-Nabawi, the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, which stands as one of Islam’s holiest sites alongside Mecca. While a transformer was taken out of service by the impact, the power network continued operating without interruption.
Houthi Officials Reject Coalition Claims
A senior Houthi official dismissed the coalition’s claims as an attempt to cover up previous unproven assertions, pointing instead to prior disputed accusations regarding an alleged drone attack on Mecca. Houthis rejected the allegations through the group’s Saba news agency, maintaining that the faction does not target Islamic holy sites.
Yemeni Government Reports Strikes on Sana’a
The internationally recognized Yemeni government reported military operations targeting Houthi positions across Sana’a, Saada, and Taiz. Hours after the coalition announced the Medina incident, journalists in the Houthi-controlled capital of Sana’a heard several loud explosions.
Fighter Jets Execute Twenty Strikes in Taiz
An Arab News report detailed that the operations struck high-value targets in Sana’a alongside 11 separate positions in Saada, accompanied by 27 airstrikes focused on Houthi military infrastructure in Taiz. A military spokesperson for the Saudi-backed Yemeni forces stated that air force fighter jets executed 20 precise airstrikes over a three-hour window targeting Houthi movements, equipment, and troop concentrations in Taiz province.
Cross-Border Hostilities Continue Since 2015
Houthi forces have frequently launched drones and missiles toward Saudi territory since the Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen’s civil war in 2015.