Houthis say they shot down Saudi drone over Yemen's Al Jawf province

Yemen's Houthi movement says its forces shot down a Saudi drone over the northern Yemeni province of Al Jawf, according to a statement from military spokesman Yahya Saree.

Saree said the drone was destroyed within the airspace of Al Jawf Governorate, an area that has seen recurring military activity throughout Yemen's prolonged conflict between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition backing the internationally recognized Yemeni government.

Ongoing claims from both sides

The Houthis have periodically announced the downing of surveillance or reconnaissance drones belonging to the Saudi-led coalition over the course of the war, framing such claims as evidence of their air-defense capabilities. Saudi Arabia has not issued an independent confirmation of the loss of a drone in this instance.

Al Jawf, bordering Saudi Arabia, has been a focal point of fighting at various points in the conflict, given its strategic location along supply routes used by both the Houthis and opposing forces. Claims of shot-down aircraft from either side in this long-running war are difficult to verify independently, and official statements from the parties involved often cannot be corroborated by neutral sources.

No further details on the type of drone, the circumstances of the claimed engagement, or any resulting wreckage were provided in the Houthi statement as reported.