A reconnaissance drone, presumed to be American, has crashed in Yemen where Washington has waged a sustained drone war against Al-Qaeda, a local tribal leader said.
The unmanned aircraft crashed in the Wadi Abida district of the central province of Marib, a major battleground between Houthis and loyalists of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, and the Houthis said they shot it down, World Bulletin reported.
“The aircraft was not armed with missiles,” tribal leader Moajeb al-Maribi said, without elaborating on what brought it down.
Washington operates armed as well as reconnaissance drones over Yemen for its campaign against Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which it regards as the armed group network’s most dangerous branch.
The official Saba news agency said the drone had been shot down by the Houthis and the allied troops still loyal to Hadi’s ousted predecessor Ali Abdullah Saleh.
“The heroes of the army and the popular committees shot down a hostile drone in Wadi Abida district on Monday evening,” it said.
Loyalist forces and allied troops from a Saudi-led coalition control the city of Marib, but the surrounding province has seen protracted fighting with the Houthis and their allies.
Al-Qaeda also has a longstanding presence in the province.
