Yemen Govt forces shoot down Houthi drone near Saudi border, destroy bomb-laden boat

Yemeni government-aligned forces reported on Saturday that they had intercepted a Houthi drone near the Saudi border and destroyed a bomb-laden boat in the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, escalating tensions along key Yemeni routes.

The drone was downed by air defenses of the 3rd Division of Yemen's Emergency Forces as it approached the Al-Wadiah border area in eastern Hadhramaut province. According to an unnamed military source, the drone was heading toward inhabited and displaced persons' areas when detected and engaged. It was brought down before reaching its target, with no reported casualties or damage.

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The drone was heading toward areas inhabited by residents and displaced people when it was detected and engaged remotely by air-defense units.

The Emergency Forces stated their commitment to protecting the border regions and confronting threats. Al-Wadiah serves as Yemen's primary land crossing with Saudi Arabia and a crucial transit point. In a separate maritime operation, the government-aligned National Resistance Forces announced their naval units destroyed a Houthi boat laden with explosives in the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

These events unfold as the Yemeni army confirmed the death of military commander Yahya al-Warqi in clashes with Houthi fighters, though details on when or where he was killed were not immediately provided. The Houthis have not yet commented on the drone interception, the boat destruction, or the commander's death. The National Resistance Forces, led by Tareq Saleh, operate along Yemen's western coastline.

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We will continue operations to protect the area and confront threats or hostile attempts targeting the security and stability of Yemen's border regions.