Yemen’s armed forces have claimed that a Turkish-made Bayraktar Akinci armed surveillance drone, operated by Saudi Arabia, was shot down over Yemen’s Al-Jawf province.
On Sunday (local time), Brigadier General Yahya Saree, spokesperson for the Yemeni armed forces, stated in a release that the drone was brought down using appropriate weaponry while conducting “hostile operations.” He asserted that their forces possess the capability and readiness to thwart any attempt to violate Yemen’s airspace and sovereignty.
Earlier on Saturday, Saree claimed that Yemeni forces had conducted two separate military operations in response to Saudi “aggression.” The first operation targeted sensitive facilities of the Saudi state-owned oil company, Aramco, in Jizan using ballistic missiles and drones. The second operation reportedly involved attacks with ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as drones, against Aramco-linked facilities in the Yanbu region.
Yemeni forces claim that both operations resulted in “precise and direct” hits on the intended targets.
Meanwhile, Nasser Al-Amer, head of Yemen’s state news agency Saba, stated that Yemen would deliver a “significant response” to Saudi Arabia’s recent military actions. He emphasized that the Yemeni people cannot be forced to surrender and that Saudi Arabia must lift the blockade.
Earlier, Yemen’s armed forces announced that the 2022 ceasefire had effectively ended. They claimed this decision followed a Saudi airstrike targeting Sana’a International Airport just minutes before an Iranian civilian aircraft was due to land. According to Yemeni authorities, the flight—carrying patients, the wounded, expatriate Yemenis, and a delegation returning from a funeral—was forced to divert and land at Hodeidah Airport instead. Subsequently, Yemen announced a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia as part of a “blockade-for-blockade” policy. They claim that, as part of this strategy, ships belonging to Saudi companies in the Red Sea have been targeted.
Meanwhile, Ansarullah’s political bureau has accused Saudi Arabia of further escalating the conflict by attacking civilian infrastructure in Hodeidah province and Kamaran Island. The group warned that it would respond based on the principle of “blockade for blockade, port for port, and escalation for escalation.”
However, these claims regarding the downing of drones, attacks on Aramco facilities, or other military operations by Yemen could not be independently verified. Saudi authorities have also not yet issued any official comment on the matter.
