Yemeni Forces: Saudi CH-4 Drone Downed Over Al-Jawf

By Staff, Agencies

The Yemeni Armed Forces said Monday they shot down a Saudi-operated CH-4 medium-altitude, long-endurance drone over Khab wa al-Sha'af district in al-Jawf governorate, marking another such interception in recent months.

Yemeni military spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree said the drone was conducting what he described as hostile operations in Yemeni airspace before being downed with an “appropriate weapon.”

The Chinese-made CH-4 is a combat and reconnaissance drone capable of carrying guided munitions and has been used by the Saudi-led coalition since its war on Yemen began in 2015.

The latest interception comes amid renewed confrontations following the breakdown of a ceasefire that had largely held since 2022.

According to the article, Saudi forces struck Sanaa International Airport on July 13, prompting Sanaa forces to resume retaliatory operations targeting Saudi airports, energy infrastructure, and military formations in Yemen.

Days later, Ansarullah announced a “siege for siege” policy and declared a naval blockade targeting Saudi maritime traffic passing through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

Ansarullah political bureau member Dhaifallah al-Shami said Yemen would continue retaliatory operations until the blockade on Yemen was lifted, describing the policy as a response to years of land, sea, and air restrictions.

The downing also follows several recent interceptions of Saudi-operated drones.

Yemeni forces have reported shooting down a Turkish-made Karayel over Saada, a Bayraktar Akinci over al-Jawf, and a Wing Loong II over Taiz’s Maqbana district. Yemeni military officials said the drones were conducting reconnaissance or combat missions and maintained that Sanaa has the right to respond to violations of Yemen’s airspace and sovereignty.