Kuwait condemns attack on Medina power station and reaffirms support for Yemen’s government
Yemen Herald News 
KUWAIT CITY, Kuwait — Kuwait’s foreign ministry condemned an attack on an electricity station in Medina and reaffirmed its support for Yemen’s internationally recognised government.
The ministry called the strike a blatant violation of Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty and a breach of international law, in a statement reported on Oct. 1. It expressed what it called absolute solidarity with Saudi Arabia.
The target was the Taiba electricity distribution station in Medina, which supplies power to the Prophet’s Mosque. It was struck on Sept. 29 at 5:11 a.m., according to an account published on Oct. 2.
The Saudi-led Coalition to Support Legitimacy said the Houthi group planned and carried out the attack. Coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki said an examination of debris from the drone involved led to that conclusion.
The Houthis denied responsibility. The group rejected the accusation that it had struck Islamic holy sites, Euronews reported on Oct. 2.
The two accounts have not been reconciled. No independent examination of the debris has been published.
Al Jazeera reported on Oct. 1 that the coalition had announced the attack on the station and attributed it to the Houthis.
Bahrain’s foreign ministry described the attack as a gross violation of international law. It asked the UN Security Council to take a firm stance against what it called recurring Houthi attacks.
Bahrain issued a separate statement on Tuesday backing Saudi Arabia’s position on Yemen.
Jasem Albudaiwi, secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, called the attack a dangerous violation of the sanctity of Islamic holy sites. He described it as an affront to Muslims.
Qatar’s foreign ministry called it an assault on the sanctity of Islamic holy sites. The League of Arab States called it an unacceptable transgression.
Al-Azhar warned that an attack on Medina would affect Muslims worldwide. Turkey’s foreign ministry condemned the strike on civilian infrastructure.
Saudi Arabia has said the Houthis attempted to target Mecca and Medina three times over nine years. The group has denied targeting the two cities.
Kuwait’s position on Yemen predates the Medina attack. The Security Council issued a statement on Yemen on Aug. 7.
That statement condemned Houthi missile attacks on Saudi Arabia since July 13 and attacks on commercial vessels since July 22.
Kuwait welcomed it, citing its emphasis on international law and on Resolution 2216. It also welcomed the call to respect Yemen’s sovereignty and protect maritime navigation.
Bahrain welcomed the same statement. It affirmed solidarity with Saudi Arabia and support for measures taken to safeguard the kingdom’s security.
Resolution 2216 was adopted in April 2015 and remains the council’s principal measure on the conflict. It imposed an arms embargo targeting Houthi leaders and demanded that the group withdraw from territory it had seized.
The Houthis have rejected the resolution since it was adopted.
In a statement carried by Yemen’s state news agency Saba on Sept. 8, Kuwait’s ministry said it backed the Yemeni government and stressed respect for the country’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.
Saba is run by the internationally recognised government from Aden. A rival version of the agency operates from Sanaa under Houthi control.
Kuwait has tied its position to the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen, which Saudi Arabia leads. Kuwait is one of the six member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
The Gulf Cooperation Council’s members are Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Gulf governments describe a settlement in Yemen as resting on three references. Those are the Gulf Cooperation Council initiative and its implementation mechanism, the outcomes of Yemen’s National Dialogue Conference, and relevant Security Council resolutions.
The Yemeni government has used the same formulation for years.
Fighting in Yemen escalated from Aug. 6. The World Health Organization has published six situation reports on the escalation, the most recent on Oct. 4.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is deeply concerned about the increased fighting and condemns Houthi attacks, deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said on Oct. 5.
Guterres warned against further militarisation of the conflict, including involvement by outside powers, Haq said.
The International Organization for Migration has recorded more than 180,000 people displaced in Yemen since Aug. 1. The UN humanitarian office has reported damage to homes, farms, health facilities, water systems and schools.
The Presidential Leadership Council was formed in April 2022, when President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi transferred his powers to it. Al-Alimi has chaired it since.
The Houthis took Sanaa in 2014. The internationally recognised government has operated from Aden since.
Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, announced a military operation on Oct. 4. Government forces have since attacked on the southern Red Sea coast and in Taiz, Marib and al-Jawf, Al Jazeera reported.
The Saudi-led coalition has committed about 100 fighter jets to the campaign, according to that report. It said about 200 US advisers were in Saudi Arabia.
Gulf statements say Houthi attacks on Saudi territory and on shipping have continued through the escalation.
Kuwait did not say whether it would raise the Medina attack at the Security Council. The ministry’s statement named no further measures.
Medina is Islam’s second holiest city. The Prophet’s Mosque stands at its centre.
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