SANAA, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi group said Saturday that its forces shot down a Saudi Apache attack helicopter near the border region of Najran, as Saudi warplanes carried out 53 airstrikes in Yemen over the past 24 hours.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a statement on social media platform X that the Apache was downed with an "appropriate weapon" while carrying out what he described as "hostile operations" against Houthi positions along the border, without providing further details on the weapon, the crew's fate, or the exact location.
There was no immediate comment from Saudi Arabia, and the claim could not be independently verified.
In an earlier statement, Sarea said the Saudi strikes hit Sanaa and the provinces of Taiz, Ibb, Lahj, Saada and Amran, with F-15 and Typhoon fighter jets taking off from Saudi air bases in Khamis Mushait and Taif.
Sarea accused the strikes of hitting civilian sites and causing casualties, including women and children, without providing a toll.
He claimed that 2,542 air and missile strikes had been carried out since the latest escalation began.
Meanwhile, the government's Armed Forces Media Center said in a statement on X that troops backed by allied fighters attacked Houthi positions and fortifications in key areas of northern Al-Jawf province as part of the ongoing "Dawn of Yemen" offensive.
The statement said artillery, drones and warplanes struck Houthi positions, gatherings and military facilities, destroying or damaging military vehicles and inflicting casualties, without providing figures.
The fighting comes amid a sharp escalation, with the Saudi-led coalition intensifying airstrikes across Houthi-held areas while backing a renewed government offensive on multiple fronts. The Houthis, in turn, have stepped up missile and drone attacks deep inside Saudi Arabia, targeting airports, oil facilities and other sites.
Yemen has been mired in conflict since late 2014, when the Houthis seized Sanaa and much of northern Yemen. The Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 in support of the internationally recognized government, and years of fighting have left the country deeply divided. ■
