Yemen Says It Downed Saudi UAV Over Mokha Following Deadly Riyadh Airstrikes

Yemeni armed forces shot down a Saudi Wing Loong II drone while it was conducting hostile missions over Mokha on Yemen’s western coast.

Armed forces spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree said early Wednesday that a Saudi UAV had been shot down using appropriate weapons.

Arab media outlets also reported powerful explosions in Riyadh early Wednesday, saying they were linked to missile and drone attacks from Yemen. The reports also said operations at Riyadh International Airport had been suspended.

The latest developments follow a sharp escalation in Saudi Arabia’s military campaign in Yemen, aimed at restoring its allied government in Sana’a.

Saudi warplanes have conducted hundreds of airstrikes across Yemen, with Saree reporting 760 raids as of September 20.

Yemeni forces launched a counteroffensive along the Red Sea coast, pushing Saudi-backed militants out of several strategic positions.

On September 10, Yemen’s armed forces captured the strategic port city of Mokha, prompting Saudi-allied forces to withdraw south toward Dhubab and paving the way for a potential advance toward Bab el-Mandeb.

The following day, Yemeni forces drove militants from six districts in Taiz and Hudaydah, gaining control of approximately 5,400 square kilometers of territory.

Yemeni forces later advanced into the Bab el-Mandeb area and seized control of key islands, including Mayyun, or Perim, located in the center of the narrow waterway linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

The advances have significantly bolstered Yemen’s position near Bab el-Mandeb, one of the world’s key maritime chokepoints.

The latest confrontation comes after more than a decade of Saudi-led war and blockade against Yemen, which began in 2015 when Riyadh intervened militarily to restore the former regime, with the United States and other Western countries providing varying degrees of political, military and logistical support.

Yemen has characterized its latest military campaign as a response to what it calls ongoing Saudi aggression and a blockade, describing advances along the Red Sea coast and pressure on Saudi shipping as part of a broader “siege-for-siege” strategy.