Riyadh, Oct 02 (V7N)- Yemen's Houthi rebels have been accused of carrying out a drone attack on a power distribution station in Medina, Islam's second-holiest city. The accusation was made by the Saudi-led military coalition on Thursday, while the Houthis strongly denied any involvement.
According to the Saudi coalition, the drone attack occurred on Tuesday at the Taiba power distribution station in Medina. The facility supplies electricity to several important areas, including the area around Al-Masjid an-Nabawi, also known as the Prophet's Mosque.
The attack reportedly caused severe damage to a major transformer and temporarily disabled it. However, an emergency backup system was activated, allowing electricity supplies to the Prophet's Mosque and surrounding areas to continue without interruption.
A spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition said an examination of debris recovered from the drone, along with military intelligence, indicated that Houthi forces were responsible for planning and carrying out the attack.
The Houthis have previously faced accusations of launching missile and drone attacks toward Saudi Arabia, including claims involving Mecca, Islam's most important pilgrimage destination.
The Houthi movement has rejected the latest accusation, describing it as “false and baseless propaganda.” A Houthi spokesperson alleged that Saudi authorities were using accusations involving Islamic holy sites to conceal domestic security failures and gain international sympathy.
No independent verification of the competing claims regarding responsibility for the Medina incident has been reported.
END/SMA/AJ
