The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthis has accused the Iran-aligned group of attacking an electricity facility in Medina, Saudi Arabia, this week, a claim the Houthis deny. The coalition stated that a power distribution station in Medina, which supplies electricity to the Masjid an-Nabawi (the Prophet’s Mosque), was attacked on Tuesday, resulting in one transformer being put out of service but not affecting the overall electricity network. An investigation and examination of drone wreckage reportedly confirmed Houthi involvement in the attack.
A Houthi military source, quoted by the Houthi-run Saba news agency, denied the accusation, labeling it a “lie” and suggesting it was intended to distract from Saudi Arabia’s inability to substantiate earlier claims that the Houthis targeted the city of Mecca. The coalition characterized the Medina attack as part of ongoing Houthi attempts to target the two holy mosques and provoke Muslims worldwide, asserting it would continue to take measures to protect these sites.
In a separate statement, the coalition reported intercepting and destroying four drones launched by the Houthis over the southern Saudi city of Khamis Mushait, along with two ballistic missiles over Khamis Mushait and Jazan. This escalation follows claims by Yemen’s internationally recognized government that its forces killed dozens of Houthi fighters during intense clashes in Taiz province.
The Yemeni army reported that the Houthis opened heavy fire in various districts west of Taiz and on the al-Aqrud front, claiming at least 30 Houthi fighters were killed in the al-Aqrud area alone, with many others wounded. Six air strikes were also said to have inflicted heavy losses southeast of Taiz and on the Humayr front.
As fighting continues, the number of internally displaced individuals in Yemen is rising, with 197,906 people officially registered as of Wednesday. The majority of these individuals are being resettled in Taiz province, which houses over 97,000 displaced persons.
Additionally, Saudi Arabia announced it has approved 224 million Saudi riyals ($59.7 million) in budget funding for Yemen’s internationally recognized government, aimed at enhancing government financial flows and supporting the purchasing power of Yemeni citizens, according to Saudi ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed al-Jabir.
Last month, Houthi fighters expanded their control over the strategic Bab al-Mandeb strait by seizing the Red Sea city of Mocha. This strait is a critical route for crude oil and fuel traveling from the Gulf to the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal. Government forces have pledged to prevent further Houthi advances, with commanders in Taiz and on the western coast stating they would attempt to retake Mocha.