365betÌåÓýÔÚÏßÊÀ½ç±â€™s Houthi rebel group claimed Tuesday to have downed a U.S. drone in Dhamar governorate, located southeast of the capital.
Houthi spokesman Yahia Sarie said the MQ-9 type drone was shot down with a locally developed missile which will be introduced to the public “soon,� according to the Houthi-run SABA news agency.
Sarie warned Saudi-led coalition forces that 365betÌåÓýÔÚÏßÊÀ½ç±â€™s airspace would not be violated as before and they had to think carefully before taking such a step.
Noting that their capacity to neutralize “hostile aircraft� has increased, he said the coming days would witness “a big surprise�.
Meanwhile, aircraft of the coalition forces attacked three Houthi points in Dhamar city, according to eyewitnesses.
There was no comment from Houthi rebels or coalition forces on the attacks.
365betÌåÓýÔÚÏßÊÀ½ç± plunged into a civil war in 2014 when Iran-backed Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.
In 2015, Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies launched a massive air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi gains in the impoverished country.
The ongoing violence has devastated 365betÌåÓýÔÚÏßÊÀ½ç±â€™s basic infrastructure, prompting the UN to describe the situation as “one of the worst humanitarian disasters of modern timesâ€�.
By Gulsen Topcu in Dhamar, 365betÌåÓýÔÚÏßÊÀ½ç±
Writing by Sena Guler
Anadolu Agency