The downed aircraft was an Iranian-made Samad-1 drone, which the military said was on a reconnaissance mission to monitor the deployment of Yemeni army units.
In a statement carried by its official outlet, September Net, the army said that air defence units in the Razamat axis, located in Al-Safra district in Saada, intercepted the drone as it attempted to breach restricted military airspace.
The statement added that reconnaissance teams detected the drone at low altitude, allowing air defence systems to track it accurately and bring it down. The aircraft, according to the army, was conducting an offensive reconnaissance mission as part of repeated Houthi attempts to infiltrate front-line positions in the area.
The military also noted that Houthi forces, backed by Iran, have recently intensified their use of drones across multiple fronts, though government units continue to foil these efforts.
Al-Safra district, known for its rugged, mountainous terrain, is the second-largest district in Saada. It stretches from the governorate’s south to its northern edge, with parts of its northern areas under government control.
Houthi forces frequently rely on drones for both intelligence gathering and offensive operations, using them to monitor liberated provinces, strike military targets, and carry out attacks against civilian and combat sites.