Pakistan issued a strong condemnation on Friday following an attack on a civilian power distribution station in Madinah, which supplies electricity to Masjid-e-Nabwi. Expressing solidarity with Saudi Arabia, Pakistan called for an immediate and unconditional halt to these hostile actions.
The Foreign Office described the assault by the Houthi militia on the Taibah power distribution station on September 29 as a serious provocation that deeply concerns millions of Muslims around the world. It emphasized that the sanctity of the Two Holy Mosques and the safety of worshippers and pilgrims must be respected at all times.
Pakistan urged a swift cessation of such reckless attacks that threaten regional peace and security. The statement reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security, while backing the Kingdom’s efforts to protect the Two Holy Mosques, its citizens, and the safety of pilgrims.
Furthermore, Pakistan reiterated its commitment to initiatives aimed at achieving lasting peace and stability in the region.
Earlier, the Saudi-led coalition engaged in conflict with Yemen’s Houthis accused the group of targeting the Madinah power distribution station. The coalition confirmed that the strike damaged a transformer, rendering it out of service, but noted that the broader electricity network remained unaffected.
An investigation by the coalition, including analysis of drone debris, confirmed Houthi involvement in orchestrating and executing the attack. However, the Houthis denied these allegations, with a military source quoted by their Saba news agency dismissing the claims as false and intended to divert attention from Saudi Arabia’s prior accusation of a Houthi attempt to target Makkah.
Saudi Arabia had announced two weeks earlier that it intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Makkah before it could enter the city’s restricted airspace. The coalition described this as the second alleged Houthi attempt to target Makkah since 2017, while the Houthis rejected any targeting of Makkah or other Islamic holy sites.
Meanwhile, Houthi media reported Saudi airstrikes on Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, as well as the provinces of Saada, Taiz, and Amran. A spokesperson for Yemen’s armed forces, aligned with the internationally recognized government, also mentioned coalition strikes on “high-value targets” in Sanaa. Saudi Arabia has not yet confirmed these reported airstrikes.
This recent escalation marks the most severe fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-aligned Houthis since a UN-brokered truce largely halted cross-border attacks in 2022. Hostilities resumed this year after the Houthis imposed a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in July and began attacking Saudi territory and shipping. Concurrently, Houthi forces made significant territorial advances along Yemen’s Red Sea coast.
In response, Saudi Arabia has conducted airstrikes in Yemen and supported government forces combating the Houthis. The Saudi-led coalition reiterated that its investigation and drone wreckage examination confirmed Houthi responsibility for the September 29 attack on the Madinah power station.
A Houthi military source described the coalition’s accusations as lies aimed at covering Saudi Arabia’s inability to substantiate its earlier claim that the Houthis targeted Makkah, the Saba news agency.
The coalition stated that the Madinah attack was part of repeated Houthi attempts to target the Two Holy Mosques and to provoke Muslims worldwide. It pledged to continue measures to safeguard these sacred sites and the pilgrims.
Additionally, the coalition announced it intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis toward the southern Saudi city of Khamis Mushait, without providing immediate details on damage or casualties.
Local officials reported early Friday that the Houthis also targeted the headquarters of the Saudi-led coalition forces command in Aden with several ballistic missiles and drones. There has been no immediate response from either the coalition or the Houthis regarding this attack.
