Spy drone shot down in western Yemen: Houthi rebels

By Mohammed Abdo Ali Ahmed Al Sameai and Mehmet Nuri Ucar

SANAA, Yemen (AA) – The Houthi rebel group on Tuesday said it shot down a “spy drone” of the Saudi Arabia-led international coalition in western Yemen.

Air defense forces of Houthi rebels destroyed the drone in Al-Tuhaita district in Yemen’s western Al-Hudaydah province, according to the Al-Masirah news network, a Yemeni media outlet aligned with the Houthi rebel group.

The Saudi-led international coalition and the Yemeni government are yet to comment on the incident.

Yemen has been beset by violence and chaos since 2014, when the Iran-backed Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.

The crisis escalated in 2015 when a Saudi-led military coalition launched a devastating air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi territorial gains.

Tens of thousands of Yemenis, including numerous civilians, are believed to have been killed in the conflict, which has led to the world’s worst humanitarian crisis as millions remain at risk of starvation.

* Writing by Zehra Nur Duz