Yemen’s Houthi group says it downed a Turkish made drone operated by Saudi Arabia, but the claim has not been independently verified.
Yemen’s Houthis claim Bayraktar Akinci drone operated by Saudi Arabia was shot down over Taiz province on Thursday, though no independent confirmation has been reported. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree announced the claim, according to Middle East Eye, as the group and Saudi Arabia exchange strikes in a conflict that has widened sharply this week.
Details of How the Houthis Claim Bayraktar Akinci Drone Was Downed
Middle East Eye reported that Saree described the aircraft as an armed reconnaissance drone made in Turkey and said it was flying “hostile missions” over Taiz. Mehr News Agency, an Iranian outlet, reported that Saree said a weapon he did not name was used to bring it down. Shafaq News reported that Saree made the announcement alongside claims of ballistic missile attacks on Saudi troop positions at the Qa’wa camp in the Ras al Ara area.
The coverage reviewed by Tamrah News carried no response from Saudi Arabia to the Taiz claim. No statement from Turkey or the manufacturer, Baykar, appeared either.
Is This the First Akinci Drone Lost in Combat?
Not according to the Houthis’ own record. Eurasian Times reported that the group claimed on 26 July to have downed an Akinci over Al Jawf in northern Yemen. That outlet said Saudi Arabia had not commented and the claim could not be verified, and noted that confirmation would have made it the first reported loss of an Akinci in Yemen. Defence Security Asia also described the July incident as a possible first combat loss for the aircraft type.
Axar.az, citing Middle East Eye, called the Taiz incident the second Bayraktar drone the Houthis say they have shot down. Both claims rest on Houthi statements, and neither had been confirmed by Saudi Arabia or Baykar in the coverage reviewed.
Fighting Around Taiz and Riyadh
Drop Site News reported continued fighting in southern and western Taiz, where Saudi backed Yemeni forces and the Houthis have made competing claims over territory near the Bab al Mandab Strait.
Euronews reported that the Houthis also said they fired a ballistic missile at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Thursday. It said this came a day after a separate drone attack on the same airport that killed one person. The coalition spokesman Turki Al Maliki said the coalition intercepted three ballistic missiles launched toward Saudi Arabia.
Reuters reporting carried by CNBC said Saudi authorities stated that three people had been killed this week in strikes on the Riyadh and Abha airports. The same report said booms were heard in Riyadh on Thursday and flights were disrupted. Reuters said it could not identify the source of the booms.
Houthi leader Abdul Malik Al Houthi said the group would continue military operations against Saudi targets, according to Shafaq News. He accused Riyadh of opening a new front from Lahj province toward the Bab al Mandab Strait and claimed the fighting was causing growing losses for Saudi Arabia. Drop Site News reported that the Saudi led coalition said it destroyed a ballistic missile launch platform in Sanaa that was being prepared for another imminent attack on Saudi Arabia. Neither side’s claims about battlefield losses could be independently verified.
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the Akinci Fleet
Türkiye Today reported that Saudi Arabia became the first Gulf country to acquire the Akinci under a July 2023 agreement with Baykar. The aircraft is a high altitude, long endurance armed reconnaissance drone.
Khaleej Times live coverage on Thursday reported a statement from Fidan that Turkey is assessing what help it can give Saudi Arabia under the Makkah agreement. The Council on Foreign Relations, citing Le Monde, said Turkey and Pakistan announced on 5 October plans to deploy troops to the kingdom under a mutual defense pact.