Lebanon condemns “in the strongest terms” the Houthi attack on the power station in Medina

Lebanon has condemned “in the strongest terms” the Houthi attack on an electricity distribution station in the holy city of Medina in Saudi Arabia, as Al Jazeera reports. In its statement, the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants called the strike on civilian infrastructure a “dangerous escalation” and expressed full solidarity with Riyadh.

The attack on the Taibah station, which supplies power to the Prophet’s Mosque, was earlier also condemned by the Muslim World League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, while the Saudi-led coalition said a transformer was taken out of service but the wider network remained intact. The Houthis have called the Saudi claims “lies”.

The Lebanese condemnation joins a wave of regional reactions to the Houthi campaign against Saudi targets, which has included ballistic missiles and drones against air bases and the kingdom’s energy infrastructure. The attacks come as fighting in Yemen has escalated significantly, with Yemeni government forces saying they have struck Houthi positions in Sanaa, Saada and Taiz.

Medina, Islam’s second-holiest city, has become a new point of tension in the widened regional conflict, as the Iran-backed Houthis have expanded the range of their attacks beyond Yemen’s border.