Yemen’s Armed Forces have shot down a Saudi armed reconnaissance drone over Hajjah governorate in the northwest of the country, military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree announced.

In a statement on Sunday morning, Saree said Yemeni air defenses successfully targeted and brought down a Karayel-type drone belonging to the Saudi forces while it was conducting hostile operations in Hajjah’s airspace, using an appropriate weapon.

He identified it as the fourth of its type downed since the beginning of the recent escalation and the seventh since such drones first entered Yemeni airspace.

The Karayel is a Turkish-made medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle produced by Lentatek (formerly associated with Vestel). Saudi forces have employed the armed reconnaissance variant for surveillance and targeting missions over Yemen. Yemeni military media has previously released footage of wreckage from similar downed Karayel drones in Hajjah and other provinces.

The latest incident comes amid continued Saudi airstrikes and missile attacks across multiple Yemeni governorates, which have repeatedly struck civilian areas, infrastructure, and residential sites.

Yemeni forces have carried out air defense operations to protect national sovereignty and respond to ongoing aggression and the long-standing blockade.

Saree’s announcement follows a series of earlier claims of Saudi and coalition drones, including Karayel, CH-4, and Wing Loong types, being intercepted over Hajjah, Saada, Al-Jawf, and other areas. Yemeni officials have stated that the pace of such interceptions has increased as Saudi forces intensify aerial operations.

The Saudi war of aggression against Yemen began in 2015 and has caused extensive civilian casualties and a severe humanitarian crisis. Sana’a maintains that such defensive actions will continue until the aggression ends.