Tensions Rise After Houthi Drone Strikes Madinah

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and the Houthis traded accusations and reported attacks on Thursday after a drone from Yemen struck a power station in Madinah, escalating tensions around one of Islam’s holiest cities.

The Saudi-led coalition said a Houthi drone struck the Taibah power station in Madinah early Tuesday.

The attack damaged a transformer at the facility, which supplies electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque.

However, the coalition said the overall electricity supply network was not affected.

The coalition said an investigation and examination of the drone debris confirmed the Houthis’ involvement in planning and carrying out the attack.

It described the incident as part of what it alleged were repeated attempts to target the Two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madinah.

The Houthis, however, denied the accusation. A Houthi military source quoted by the group’s Saba news agency described the claim as a lie and accused Saudi Arabia of using it to divert attention from an earlier allegation that the group had targeted Makkah.

Saudi Arabia said two weeks ago that it had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Makkah before it entered restricted airspace over the holy city.

The coalition said it was the second alleged Houthi attempt to target Makkah since 2017.

The Houthis, however, denied targeting Makkah or any other Islamic holy site.

Meanwhile, loud explosions were heard on Thursday evening in the Houthi-controlled Yemeni capital, Sanaa, according to AFP journalists.

AFP footage showed thick plumes of smoke rising over the city.

After several years of relative calm, Yemen plunged back into war in July, with fighting involving the Houthis, who control Sanaa.

Clashes have also taken place along Yemen’s Red Sea coast between the Houthis and the Riyadh-backed government.

Agencies