Yemen's Houthi rebels 'shoot down Apache helicopter in Hodeida'

According to a number of sources, Yemen's rebels downed an Apache gunship in the western coastal area of Hodeida - the second helicopter in two months.
1 min read
17 March, 2017
The Yemeni rebels last shot down a helicopter on January 25 [Anadolu]

Yemen's Houthi rebels reported shooting down a Saudi Apache helicopter in Hodeideh province on Thursday.

The New Arab has seen footage of the destroyed helicopter, which was reportedly shot down in the Bait Fakih district just after 12pm GMT.

It is not known how many people were killed or injured in Thursday's incident.

Various pro-Houthi media outlets have reported the helicopter was bombing various rebel positions on the Yemeni coast at the time of the attack, but there has been no comment or confirmation from the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen.

Yemeni rebels last shot down an Apache helicopter in the Dhubab neighborhood of Yemen's Taiz province on January 25.

The Houthi rebels first rose up against the government in September 2014, when they aligned with the previous president, Saleh, to bring down the new transitional government.

In March 2015, a Saudi-led coalition launched a military campaign to help the internationally recognised government regain control of territory lost to the Houthi rebels.

Figures suggest more than 13,000 people, half of which are civilians, have died since this intervention, while 3 million more were forced into displacement.​