SANAA

The Shiite Houthi group has shot down a "hostile" drone in Yemeni capital Sanaa, a pro-Houthi television channel reported Friday.

Al-Massira television channel said that the drone had been downed in western Sanaa, giving no further details.

There was no comment from Saudi Arabia, which has led a coalition of Arab countries to launch airstrikes against Houthi positions in Yemen since late Wednesday.

Saudi Arabia said the strikes were in response to calls by Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi for military intervention to "save the people from the Houthi militias."

Fractious Yemen has been in turmoil since last September, when the Shiite militants overran capital Sanaa, from which they have sought to extend their influence to other parts of the country as well.

Some Gulf countries accuse Shiite Iran of supporting the Houthi insurgency.

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