Yemeni Government Forces Strike Houthi Positions Amid Drone Shootdown Claims

Forces loyal to Yemen's Saudi-backed government ride in a pick-up truck in the Hays district, south of Hodeidah on September 5, 2026 [AFP]. Yemeni government forces announced they have executed air strikes against Houthi positions nationwide, while the Iran-aligned group reported shooting down multiple Saudi drones.

According to a military statement released late on Sunday, the armed forces' warplanes conducted raids on Houthi militia positions in al-Barah, south of Hodeidah, and on the western outskirts of Marib. The strikes also targeted sites and gatherings in al-Lubnat, al-Alam, and the al-Jawf governorate centre, resulting in significant losses of life and equipment for the militia.

On Monday, Yahya Saree, the military spokesperson for the Houthis, stated that Houthi fighters downed three Saudi drones within a 24-hour period. Saudi Arabia did not immediately comment on these claims.

Saree reported that a Saudi CH-4 armed reconnaissance drone was shot down over al-Jawf province during hostile activities. He subsequently announced that a Saudi-owned Wing Loong II armed reconnaissance drone was also brought down in al-Bayda governorate.

The conflict has increasingly involved maritime routes, following the Houthis' declaration of a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia in July and subsequent attacks on Saudi shipping in the Bab al-Mandeb strait. Both factions are currently fighting for control of this critical waterway, which has transformed into an essential transit route for Saudi oil exports ever since Iran blockaded the Strait of Hormuz in response to the US-Israel war on Iran launched in February.

These developments follow military actions on Friday, when Yemen's internationally recognised government launched air strikes on multiple Houthi positions as the group attempted advances through western Taiz and southern Hodeidah towards al-Makha (Mocha) and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.