Clipped Wings: Houthi Rebels Reportedly Down Saudi Recon Drone in Yemen

Yemeni forces opposing the government of President Hadi and his Riyadh allies have demonstrated their anti-air capabilities; they successfully destroyed an unmanned Saudi spy plane as it was gathering intel in Yemen’s airspace.

A Saudi surveillance UAV was shot down by Houthi rebels and their allies from the Yemeni armed forces while it was conducting a reconnaissance flight in Yemeni airspace, Press TV reports, citing local media sources.

Earlier in October, Yemeni forces also apparently managed to shoot down a Eurofighter Typhoon and a MQ-9 Reaper drone belonging to Royal Saudi Air Force, while in June they also managed to down a Saudi F-15 aircraft, the news agency adds.

The Yemeni civil war erupted in 2015 between the internationally recognized government of President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, backed by the Saudi-led Arab coalition, and the Houthi rebel movement, initially supported by military units loyal to former President Saleh.

In late November, Saleh’s loyalists began clashing with Houthi rebels in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa, and on December 4 Saleh himself was killed after he formally broke his alliance with the Houthis and attempted to broker a deal with Riyadh.