Yemeni armed forces have intercepted and targeted an unmanned aerial vehicle belonging to the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) as it was flying in the skies over the country’s southwestern province of Ta’izz.

Spokesman for the Yemeni military, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, said in a statement on Monday that Yemeni air defense forces targeted an armed Wing Loong II reconnaissance drone with a surface-to-air missile as it was carrying out hostilities.

The development came on the same day that Saudi fighter jets carried out a series of airstrikes against multiple locations across Yemen.

Saudi warplanes launched an airstrike on a sponge factory in the Shamlan neighborhood of the Yemeni capital Sana'a.

Al-Masirah television channel, citing a statement released by the Yemeni Ministry of Health and Populations, reported that three civilians were injured in the strike on a sponge factory in the al-Mahjar area of the neighborhood.

The ministry denounced the targeting of factories and production facilities as a violation of international humanitarian law, adding that the aerial assault should be subject to international investigation and accountability.

Saudi Arabia launches 106 airstrikes, missile attacks on Yemen civilian infrastructure in 24 hours

Saudi Arabia hits civilian infrastructure in Yemen with 106 airstrikes and missile attacks.

Separately, Saudi warplanes carried out two airstrikes against locations in the Sahar and al-Safra districts in Yemen’s northwestern province of Sa’ada. There were no immediate reports on possible casualties or the extent of the damage.

Saudi fighter jets also struck the Kitaf wa al-Boqe'e district in the same Yemeni province, though no reports about casualties were quickly available.

Moreover, a female student lost her life, and two others sustained injuries when Saudi military aircraft struck the Bani Hushaysh district in the capital Yemeni province of Sana’a.

On July 20, the Sana’a government announced a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia in response to "an unjust and oppressive siege" on Yemen for almost 12 years.

Subsequently, the Yemeni armed forces have reported a series of successful missions that have targeted vessels associated with Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea.

In March 2015, Saudi Arabia and its allies imposed a blockade on Yemen, initiating a comprehensive military offensive that received support in terms of military, political, and logistical assistance from the United States and several Western countries.

Tens of thousands of Yemenis have lost their lives; however, Saudi Arabia has failed to achieve its primary goal of reestablishing a puppet government that served its interests.