Pakistan Condemns Houthi Drone Attack on Madinah Power Station
Pakistan condemned the Houthi drone attack on Madinah's Taibah power station, which serves the Prophet's Mosque. Saudi Arabia says one transformer was hit.
Pakistan has strongly condemned a Houthi drone attack on the Taibah power distribution station in Madinah, which supplies electricity to Masjid an-Nabawi, the Prophet's Mosque. The Foreign Office called it "a grave provocation" in a statement on Friday 2 October 2026.
Saudi Arabia says the attack hit at 5:11 am on Tuesday 29 September. It took one power transformer out of service, but did not affect the electricity network. We found no Saudi notice of any change to Umrah, Madinah services or flights.
Pakistan's Foreign Office condemned the attack on 2 October
Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the Houthi attack on the Taibah station in a press release dated 2 October 2026. It called the attack reprehensible, said the sanctity of the Two Holy Mosques must be respected, and declared full solidarity with Saudi Arabia.
We read the statement on the ministry's own website. It is press release 271 of 2026, issued from Islamabad. Radio Pakistan, the state broadcaster, reported the same words and named the speaker as Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan.
The statement makes four main points:
- The attack on "civilian infrastructure supplying electricity to the Holy Prophet's (PBUH) Mosque is a grave provocation".
- The sanctity of the Two Holy Mosques and "the safety of worshippers and pilgrims must be respected under all circumstances".
- Pakistan called for "an immediate and unconditional end" to such actions, which it said threaten regional peace and security.
- Pakistan said it stands firmly with Saudi Arabia in its efforts to protect the Two Holy Mosques, its people and pilgrims.
Saudi Arabia says one transformer went out of service
The Saudi-led coalition says a drone struck the Taibah electricity distribution station in Madinah at 5:11 am on 29 September. One power transformer was taken out of service. The coalition says the wider electricity network was not affected.
The details come from Major General Turki Al-Malki, the official spokesperson of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen. The Saudi Press Agency, the Kingdom's official news agency, carried his statement on the evening of 1 October. We read it there.
He said Saudi investigators confirmed that the Houthi militia planned and carried out the attack. He said that finding was based on an after-action review and the wreckage of the drone. He called the station a civilian facility that provides electricity to the Prophet's Mosque.
The Saudi statement was issued two days after the attack, and Pakistan responded a day later. The Houthis are an armed group that controls much of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa.
| Item | What the official statements say |
|---|---|
| Target | Taibah electricity distribution station, Madinah |
| Time | 5:11 am, Tuesday 29 September 2026 |
| Weapon | A drone, according to the coalition |
| Damage | One power transformer out of service |
| Power supply | Electricity network not affected |
| Saudi statement | 1 October, via the Saudi Press Agency |
| Pakistan statement | 2 October, Foreign Office press release 271/2026 |
Pakistan's army commanders also backed Saudi Arabia
Pakistan's Corps Commanders' Conference, held in Rawalpindi on 2 October, "strongly resented Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia". It expressed solidarity with the Kingdom and affirmed Pakistan's commitment to the security and sanctity of the Haramain Sharifain, the two holy mosques.
Radio Pakistan reported the conference, which was chaired by Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir. The same meeting welcomed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye.
This is not the first time Pakistan has spoken on attacks inside Saudi Arabia this autumn. On 12 September, the Foreign Office condemned drone attacks on the East-West Pipeline in the Riyadh and Madinah regions. That statement said the pipeline was damaged and civilians were injured.
Gulf and Muslim bodies issued similar condemnations
Pakistan is one of many governments and bodies to condemn the Madinah attack. The Saudi Press Agency carried condemnations from the GCC Secretary-General, Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, Kuwait, the Arab League, the OIC General Secretariat and the Muslim World League between 1 and 2 October.
The GCC Secretary-General, Jasem Albudaiwi, called the attack a "blatant provocation" to Muslims. Saudi Arabia's Presidency of Religious Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque also condemned what it called the continued targeting of Makkah and Madinah.
The coalition reported more Houthi launches in the same days. On 1 October it said two ballistic missiles and four drones were intercepted and destroyed over Khamis Mushait and Jazan. On 2 October it said another ballistic missile aimed at Khamis Mushait was intercepted.
No Saudi notice of disruption to Umrah, Madinah services or flights
We found no official Saudi notice changing Umrah, visits to the Prophet's Mosque or flights after the attack. The coalition says the power network was not affected, and a new Madinah bus route to the mosque opened on 1 October.
We checked about 650 Saudi Press Agency items from 30 September to 2 October. None announced a change to Umrah permits, Madinah transport or airport operations. On 1 October the agency reported that Madinah Bus had launched express route 300, linking the Haramain railway station with the Prophet's Mosque.
So for a Pakistani pilgrim with a booking, or a Pakistani worker in Madinah, nothing official has changed. That can move quickly, though, so the sensible checks are simple:
- Follow the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, the Nusuk app and your airline for any change, rather than forwarded messages.
- Keep your passport, visa and hotel details on your phone and on paper.
- Save the contact details of Pakistan's embassy in Riyadh and the consulate general in Jeddah before you fly.
If you are still planning a trip, the steps to book an Umrah visa on Nusuk are unchanged. And if a passport goes missing on the trip, Pakistanis can get an emergency travel document in Jeddah.
Common questions
What did Pakistan say about the Madinah attack?
The Foreign Office strongly condemned it on 2 October 2026, called it a grave provocation, and said the safety of worshippers and pilgrims must be respected.
When was the Taibah power station attacked?
At 5:11 am on Tuesday 29 September 2026, according to the Saudi-led coalition's spokesperson.
Was the Prophet's Mosque affected?
Saudi officials say one transformer at the station went out of service but the electricity network was not affected. They did not report any damage to the mosque.
Who carried out the attack?
Saudi investigators say the Houthi militia planned and carried it out, based on a review and the drone wreckage. We found no Houthi statement on Saudi or Pakistani official channels.
Is Umrah suspended after the attack?
No. We found no Saudi notice suspending or changing Umrah, Madinah visits or flights up to 2 October 2026.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 2 October 2026. Pakistan's statement is read in full in press release 271/2026 on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, and the spokesperson's name is from Radio Pakistan's report of the same day. The time of the attack, the damage, the drone and the Houthi finding are from the coalition spokesperson's statement on the Saudi Press Agency. The condemnations by other states and bodies, the missile interceptions and the Madinah bus route are also from Saudi Press Agency items of 1 and 2 October. The Corps Commanders' Conference wording is from Radio Pakistan. We did not see the site and could not check the damage ourselves.
About the author
Public Services and Education Journalist
Fajr Riaz is a journalist and content writer at Pakistan Era, based in Lahore. She covers the questions people meet in everyday life in Pakistan: how a public service works, what a change in the rules means, and where to find a reliable answer.
