Yemeni forces engage 'hostile' drone near Aden

The Southern Armed Forces said Saturday they were engaging what they described as a "hostile" drone in the airspace west of the interim capital Aden, without providing further details on the operation or the aircraft's origin.

Drone engagement

Led by Presidential Leadership Council member Abdulrahman al-Muharrami, the forces said on social media platform X that they were "dealing with hostile drone activity west of the capital, Aden." Officials provided no immediate confirmation of whether the drone had been intercepted or destroyed.

Activists on the platform circulated claims that air defenses had shot down a drone belonging to the Houthi group over the city. The Iran-backed movement, which has controlled the capital Sanaa since September 2014, issued no immediate response to the government announcement.

Conflict background

Earlier on Saturday, Yemen's army announced that it launched a military operation targeting Houthi military equipment and positions. The development comes as Yemen has seen a relative lull in fighting since April 2022, following more than 11 years of war between government forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis.

The conflict began when the Houthis seized control of Sanaa on Sept. 21, 2014, prompting the intervention of the coalition months later. Government forces have repeatedly accused the group of violating truce terms with drone and missile attacks on civilian and military targets in government-held areas.