Houthis say they shot down Saudi drone in northwestern Yemen
The Houthi movement released footage of burning wreckage after saying it hit Saudi oil facilities a day earlier.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
2 min read
The Houthis downed a Saudi drone over northwestern Yemen, the Iran-backed group claimed, releasing footage that appeared to show the aircraft’s wreckage on fire. The claim points to another reported military incident involving the Houthi movement and Saudi Arabia.
According to Al Jazeera, Houthi forces said the aircraft was a Saudi reconnaissance drone. The group’s video appeared to show burning debris, though the report did not include independent confirmation of the aircraft’s identity or how it came down.
The claim came one day after the Houthis said they had attacked Saudi oil facilities, Al Jazeera reported. No additional details about those alleged oil facility attacks were included in the report.
What did the Houthis say happened to the Saudi drone?
The Houthis said their forces shot down a Saudi reconnaissance drone over northwestern Yemen. Al Jazeera reported that the group released footage that appeared to show the aircraft’s burning wreckage.
A reconnaissance drone is an unmanned aircraft used to gather information, often through surveillance or imagery. In this case, the Houthis described the aircraft as Saudi, but the report did not cite a Saudi response.
The location was described only as northwestern Yemen. Al Jazeera did not report a specific province, the model of the drone, or whether there were casualties connected to the incident.
Claim follows reported oil facility attacks
The drone claim followed another Houthi statement from the previous day, when the group said it attacked Saudi oil facilities, according to Al Jazeera. The timing links the two claims as part of the latest reported escalation by the movement.
The Houthis are backed by Iran, Al Jazeera reported. The movement has made repeated claims of attacks involving Saudi targets, though this report focused only on the drone allegation and the prior-day statement about oil facilities.
The footage released by the Houthis showed what appeared to be flaming wreckage. Al Jazeera described the video as released by the group and did not report independent verification beyond what the images appeared to show.
The report was published on July 26, 2026. It did not include comment from Saudi authorities or other parties on the Houthi claim.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.