Yemen's Houthi rebels 'down US drone' over capital Sanaa

Yemeni Houthi rebels claimed to have shot down a US surveillance drone in the countrys capital city Sanaa on Sunday, the Houthi-controlled state news agency Saba News Agency reported.  

"A military source announced that [Houthi] air defences shot down an American MQ-9 surveillance drone in Jader area in the Sanaa province," according to Saba.

An AFP photographer at the scene said dozens of residents rushed to examine the debris from the burning unmanned aerial vehicle - which is produced by the United States - at the northern entrance to the capital Sanaa.

No casualties were reported.

Neither Washington, nor Riyadh have responded to the Houthi reports.

When the the Saudi-led coalition began its intervention in Yemen, the US pledged to support the deadly operation by providing Riyadh with intelligence and weaponry. 

Since 2015, Yemen has seen a devastating war between the Saudi-backed internationally-recognised government and Iran-backed Houthi rebels who took over the capital the previous September.

International rights groups have accused the coalition of bombing civilian areas - including public gatherings, markets, hospitals and residential areas across Yemen - since the aerial campaign against Houthi rebels began in 2015. Both sides have been accused of war crimes and blocking aid to civilians.

UN figures suggest more than 10,000 people have been killed and thousands more wounded since Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened, the vast majority civilians.