Saudi spy drone downed in Yemen: Houthi spokesman

SANAA

The Houthi rebel group said Wednesday it had downed a Saudi spy drone in northern Yemen.

"The [Houthi] air defense downed an unmanned spy plane on Wednesday afternoon that belongs to the Saudi air force in al-Mahashma area in Al-Jawf province," said their spokesman, Yahya Saree on Twitter.

Saree said that the drone was conducting "hostile acts", however, he did not provide further details.

He added that the downing of the Saudi drone was filmed by the group.

The Saudi-led Arab Coalition in Yemen has yet to comment on the Houthi claim.

Yemen has been beset by violence and chaos since 2014, when Iran-aligned Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.

The crisis escalated in 2015 when the Saudi-led coalition launched a devastating air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi territorial gains.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the conflict in Yemen has so far claimed the lives of 233,000 people.

Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara.