Yemeni forces strike Houthis after Madinah power station attack

Yemen's Armed Forces spokesman said Friday that the air force carried out 20 precise airstrikes over three hours, targeting Houthi "movements, reinforcements, gatherings, elements, vehicles and military equipment" in Taiz governorate. 

"The raids achieved direct hits on enemy targets and inflicted losses on the militia's elements, equipment, and military movements," the spokesman said on X.

The strikes came hours after the Iran-backed Houthis struck an electricity distribution station in Madinah, Saudi Arabia, using a drone to target a facility supplying power to the Prophet's Mosque — an attack that drew condemnation from Islamic and Arab nations. 

Coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Maliki said the Taibah distribution station was hit early on September 29, knocking out one transformer, though the broader power network was unaffected. 

An investigation found the Houthis "planned and executed" what Maliki called a "cowardly terrorist act," based on an operational review and analysis of drone debris. The Houthis have denied the attack.

Fighting also hits Sanaa and Saada

The Yemeni army said late Thursday it had also targeted sites in Sanaa and Saada, conducting a "high-value targeting operation" in the capital and striking 11 targets in Saada, in addition to 27 airstrikes against an "integrated military system" belonging to the Houthis in Taiz.

The city of Taiz has become a key flashpoint, with the Iran-backed rebels pushing to seize the strategically located city as fighting between the Houthis and government forces, largely frozen since a 2022 truce, has returned to full-scale conflict over the past month.

Last month, a Houthi drone was shot down outside Makkah, which the coalition described as a "red line." 

The Houthis, who control Sanaa and much of Yemen's Red Sea coast, have repeatedly launched drones and missiles at Saudi Arabia since the kingdom intervened in Yemen's civil war in 2015 to support the internationally recognized government.