RIYADH: The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthis said on Thursday the group had attacked a power distribution station in Madina this week, putting one transformer out of service but without affecting the electricity network.

The coalition said an investigation and examination of drone wreckage confirmed Houthi involvement in planning and carrying out Tuesday’s attack. It said the station supplies electricity to Masjid-i-Nabavi (PBUH).

A Houthi military source, quoted by the Saba news agency, denied the accusation, calling it a “lie” and saying it was intended to cover up what he described as Saudi Arabia’s failure to substantiate its earlier accusation that the Houthis targeted Makkah.

Saudi Arabia said two weeks ago it had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Makkah before it entered restricted airspace over the city. The coalition described that incident as the second Houthi attempt to target Makkah since 2017, while the Houthis denied targeting Makkah or any other holy site.

The coalition said the Madina attack was part of what it described as repeated Houthi attempts to target the Two Holy Mosques and “provoke” Muslims worldwide. It said it would continue taking measures to protect the holy sites and pilgrims.

Meanwhile, the Saudi-led coalition said on Thursday that its forces intercepted two ballistic missiles and four drones fired by the Houthis at the kingdom.

The coalition said on X it “intercepted and destroyed” the missiles and drones over the southern Saudi city of Jazan, near energy and oil facilities already targeted in recent weeks, and Khamis Mushait, a city in the country’s southwest that is home to an airbase.

Published in Dawn, October 2nd, 2026