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Rebel drone shot down in south Yemen: coalition
DUBAI, July 5, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Coalition forces supporting the Yemeni
government shot down a rebel drone Thursday over their military base in the
southern city of Aden, a source in the Saudi-led alliance said.
The Iran-allied Huthi insurgents claimed via their Al-Masirah TV to have
“successfully” targeted the Brega military base in Aden with a drone.
They said it was the first time they had targeted the coalition in the port
city, where President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi’s government has its
headquarters.
A source with the Saudi-led alliance told AFP by telephone that its forces
had “shot down an unmanned drone over a coalition base” in Aden.
It follows the launch last month of a major offensive by pro-government
forces to retake the port city of Hodeida, a key aid gateway on Yemen’s west
coast held by the rebels since 2014.
The United Arab Emirates is playing a key role in the anti-rebel operations
with troops on the ground fighting alongside the army, backed by coalition
air strikes.
Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in the Yemen war in 2015 to try to
roll back Huthi rebel gains and restore Hadi’s internationally recognised
government to power.
UN envoy Martin Griffiths is due to brief the Security Council Thursday on
his latest efforts to avert an all-out war for Hodeida.
Nearly 10,000 people including 2,200 children have been killed in the Yemen
conflict since 2015.
BSS/AFP/ARS/2000 hrs