Houthis Down Saudi Drone Over North Yemen
The Houthi group in Yemen has claimed to have shot down a Saudi reconnaissance drone over the northwestern province of Hajjah, which borders Saudi Arabia. The drone was identified as a ScanEagle, according to a military source within the group. The Houthi forces used an 'appropriate weapon' to bring it down, but no further details were provided.
The incident comes after the Houthis announced last week that they had carried out two drone attacks targeting an airport and an oil facility in Saudi Arabia's southern region of Najran. In a statement on social media platform X, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group launched two drone strikes, one hitting a 'sensitive target' at Najran airport and the other hitting a facility belonging to Saudi state oil giant Aramco.
The attacks were carried out in response to what the group described as Saudi drone incursions into the airspace over Yemen's northern province of Saada, a Houthi stronghold bordering Saudi Arabia. The conflict between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition has been ongoing since 2015, with the Houthis seeking to regain control of the country.
The Houthi group has also imposed a maritime ban on Saudi shipping, citing an alleged Saudi blockade of Houthi-held areas. Since then, the Houthis have claimed a series of attacks on Saudi tankers, energy facilities and airports, while also intensifying missile and drone strikes on government-held areas in Yemen.