The key facts

  • The Houthis claim they downed a Saudi Apache near Najran during 'hostile operations' against their positions
  • The Saudi side has not commented on the statement
  • Escalation has continued since July, after the collapse of the 2022 truce

Houthi statement on downed helicopter

Yemen's Houthi movement said on Saturday that it shot down a Saudi military Apache helicopter near the Najran region in southern Saudi Arabia. According to the group's military spokesman Yahya Saree, the helicopter was downed while carrying out 'hostile operations' against Houthi positions along the border. The statement was distributed through the Houthi-controlled version of the Yemeni Saba agency.

Riyadh's reaction and conflict context

Saudi officials did not immediately comment on Saree's remarks. The statement came amid continued military escalation in Yemen and Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia since July, including strikes on civil aviation facilities and the kingdom's energy infrastructure. Yemen has been engulfed in conflict since 2014, when the Houthis seized Sanaa and a number of provinces, prompting the Saudi Arabia-led coalition to intervene the following year in support of the internationally recognized government. The current round of fighting began in July after the collapse of the 2022 truce.