Houthis down Saudi helicopter, killing its crew

Yemen’s Houthis have claimed that they have downed a Saudi Apache helicopter in the Saudi skies, near the Yemeni-Saudi borders, news agencies reported on Friday.

Yahya Saree, spokesman of the Houthis, announced that the Saudi helicopter was downed after it was hit with a surface-to-air missile.

Saree confirmed that the crew of the Saudi aircraft, consisting of two pilots, were killed.

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On Twitter, Saree posted: “a Saudi Apache helicopter was shot down by a surface-to-air missile,” adding that “its two pilots were killed as it was completely burned.”

He affirmed that the Houthis have a video documenting the attack.

This came just one day after 200 Houthi prisoners were released by the Saudi-led coalition.

Saree declared that nearing the Yemeni skies is “banned” and this area would not be a “picnic” for anyone because the “armed forces” would protect the Yemeni borders.