Army inaugurates air defense year by downing Saudi spy plane in Hodeidah

SANAA, Dec. 30 (YPA) – The Yemeni army’s air defenses on Monday was able to down a spy aircraft belonging to Saudi-led coalition forces in the airspace of Hodeidah province, the army’s spokesman said.

“The Saudi spy plane, which was shot down in al-Salif area, is of Karayael type,” the army’s spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Sarie explained in a statement.

The plane was hit with an air-to-surface missile while it was carrying out hostile tasks, in breach of Sweden agreement, he added.

In a message he addressed to the coalition forces, Gen. Sarie affirmed that this operation is considered “an inauguration of the air defense year,” in reference to declaring 2020 as the year of air defense systems, during a press conference he held on Sunday.
“The violation of Yemeni airspace is no longer permissible,” he stressed.

Downing of Karayel spy plane comes hours after the Yemeni air defenses announced shooting down a spy plane of the coalition in the airspace of Razih district in Saada province, north of Yemen.

YPA