Houthis strike power station serving Prophet's Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia retaliates

The Saudi-led coalition accused Yemen's Houthi militia of launching a drone strike on September 29, 2026, against Medina's Taibah power station, which supplies electricity to the Prophet's Mosque. While the Houthis denied involvement, the coalition cited drone wreckage as proof. In response, Yemeni government forces launched retaliatory airstrikes across Sanaa, Saada, and Taiz, marking a sharp escalation in the conflict. The attack drew widespread condemnation from Turkey, Qatar, and the Arab League.

Medina power station strike impact

• ▪A drone struck the Taibah electricity distribution station in Medina, Saudi Arabia, at 5:11 am on September 29, 2026, taking one transformer out of service
• ▪The Taibah electricity distribution station targeted in the September 29, 2026 Houthi drone strike supplies power to the Prophet's Mosque in Medina
• ▪The Saudi-led coalition stated that the September 29, 2026 drone strike on the Taibah facility did not affect the wider Saudi Arabian electricity network

Saudi-led coalition accusations

• ▪The Saudi-led coalition stated that an examination of drone wreckage recovered after the September 29, 2026 attack proved the Houthis planned and executed the Taibah station attack
• ▪The Saudi-led coalition accused Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi militia of planning and executing the September 29, 2026 drone strike on the Taibah electricity distribution station
• ▪Saudi-led coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Maliki stated that an investigation and drone wreckage confirmed the Houthi militia's involvement in the September 29, 2026 Medina attack

International condemnation of the attack

• ▪Qatar, the League of Arab States, and Cairo's Al-Azhar institute condemned the September 29, 2026 Medina attack, calling it a grave assault on Islamic holy sites
• ▪The Turkish Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the September 29, 2026 drone attack on Medina's civilian infrastructure, calling it a threat to Saudi sovereignty and Islamic sacred values

Retaliatory military operations against Houthis

• ▪The internationally recognized Yemeni government's military conducted a high-value targeting operation in Sanaa and struck 11 targets in Saada on October 1, 2026
• ▪The Yemeni Air Force carried out 20 precise airstrikes targeting Houthi movements, reinforcements, and military equipment in the Taiz Governorate on October 2, 2026

Debatable claims

• ▪The Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen has failed to secure Saudi territory
• ▪The Saudi-led coalition's retaliatory airstrikes in Yemen are justified
• ▪The strike on the Medina power station is equivalent to attacking the Prophet's Mosque