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.
Al-Azhar, the Cairo-based institute of Sunni Islamic learning, also denounced the incident. 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 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.
“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. The coalition said one transformer was taken out of service without affecting the wider electricity network. Al-Maliki said the facility supplied electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque. “This cowardly terrorist act, targeting a civilian facility providing electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, is a continuation of this extremist militia’s attempts to target the Two Holy Mosques,” he said.
