Yemen rebels claim to down US drone in Marib

SANAA, Yemen

Houthi rebels on Tuesday claimed to have shot down a US spy drone in Yemen’s central province of Marib.

"Our air defenses managed to shoot down a US-made ScanEagle spy plane," rebel spokesman Yahya Saree said in a brief statement.

He said the spy drone was carrying out “hostile actions” in Yemeni airspace over al-Jubah district in Marib province before it was brought down.

The spokesman said the drone was downed with a “suitable weapon” without specifying it, adding that a video of the wrecked drone will be released.

Saree said Houthi rebels have shot down five US spy drones in Yemen since the start of this year.

There was no comment from US or Yemeni authorities on the Houthi claim.

Yemen has been engulfed by violence and instability since 2014, when Iran-aligned Houthi rebels captured much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.

A Saudi-led coalition aimed at reinstating the Yemeni government has worsened the situation, causing one of the world’s worst man-made humanitarian crises with 233,000 people killed, nearly 80% or about 30 million needing humanitarian assistance and protection, and more than 13 million in danger of starvation, according to UN estimates.

Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara