Yemen and the Red Sea

Houthi military spokesman says a Saudi armed UAV was shot down over Taiz

This version is a correction.

MOVEMENT
Location
Taiz governorate airspace (regional reference; shoot-down position not reported)
Actors
Houthis · Saudi Arabia
Importance
Standard

Al-Masirah, the Houthi-run outlet, reported on 5 October 2026 at 11:42 UTC that the armed forces spokesman said a Saudi armed reconnaissance UAV of the Chinese Wing Loong 2 type was downed with a suitable weapon while carrying out hostile missions in the skies of Taiz governorate, Yemen. The claim comes from the Houthi military spokesman and was not confirmed by Saudi Arabia or by independent imagery in the material reviewed. The post shows a photograph, and the claim may refer to a pilotless aircraft rather than a crewed helicopter of that type.

Why it matters

The claim indicates continued Saudi aerial surveillance over Taiz, where government forces announced an offensive on 4 October.

Verification: unverified

Evidence: Al-Masirah report of the Houthi military spokesman on downing a Saudi armed UAV in Taiz

Claim by the Houthi military spokesman relayed by Al-Masirah. No Saudi confirmation and no independent imagery were available in the material reviewed.