Yemen rebels claim downing US spy plane in Marib

SANAA, Yemen (AA) – Houthi rebels in Yemen on Saturday claimed to have shot down a US spy plane in the central province of Marib.

"Our air defenses were able to shoot down an American ScanEagle spy plane with a surface-to-air missile," rebel military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a brief statement.

He said the plane was carrying out “hostile actions” in the Yemeni airspace before it was shot down.

The spokesman promised that the group will show the plane wreckage later, without giving further details.

Both the US and Yemeni authorities have not yet commented on the claims.

The Yemeni government controls most of Marib, while the Houthis control some areas in the province.

In recent months, Iranian-aligned Houthi rebels have stepped up attacks to take control of the oil-rich Marib province, one of the most important strongholds of the legitimate government and home to the headquarters of Yemen’s Defense Ministry.

Yemen has been engulfed by violence and instability since 2014, when Iran-aligned Houthi rebels captured much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.

A Saudi-led coalition aimed at reinstating the Yemeni government has worsened the situation, causing one of the world’s worst man-made humanitarian crises with 233,000 people killed, nearly 80% or about 30 million needing humanitarian assistance and protection, and more than 13 million in danger of starvation, according to UN estimates.

*Writing by Ibrahim Mukhtar in Ankara