Houthis claim to have shot down Saudi Apache helicopter

Yemen’s Houthi group claimed that it had shot down a Saudi Apache military helicopter near the Najran region in southern Saudi Arabia while it was conducting operations against Houthi positions.

The group’s military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, made the claim in a statement carried by the Houthi-run version of Yemen’s Saba news agency on Saturday, saying Houthi forces had targeted the helicopter as it carried out what he described as “hostile operations” along the Saudi-Yemeni border.

Saudi officials had not immediately commented on the claim, and the reported downing of the helicopter had not been independently confirmed.

The announcement comes amid escalating hostilities in Yemen and continued Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia since July.

The attacks have reportedly targeted civilian aviation facilities and energy infrastructure within the Kingdom.