Yemen Houthi rebels claim US made drone shoot down

Yemen's Houthi rebels on Monday claimed they shot down a U.S.-made drone over the country's northern border with Saudi Arabia.

The kingdom and the U.S. military on Monday did not immediately acknowledge losing a drone.

Brig. Gen. Yehia Sarie, a Houthi military spokesman, said in a statement their air defenses downed an AeroVironment RQ-20 Puma drone Sunday over the district of Harad in Yemen's northern Hajjah province.

Footage later aired by the Houthi's Al-Masirah satellite channel showed fighters gathered around the hand-launched drone, which appeared to have bullet holes in it.

Masking tape on its tail bore what appeared to be the palm-tree and crossed-swords logo of Saudi Arabia. Arabic written on the side read "God Bless You," an inscription common on Saudi aircraft.

The Saudi military, which has been fighting the Houthis since 2015, is not known to operate this drone.

A Saudi military spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

First used by U.S. special forces, other arms of the American military now use the unarmed drone for surveillance work.

The U.S. military's Central Command and Air Force Central Command did not immediately respond to a request for comment.