Aden (South24 Center)

A drone believed to be Saudi-operated crashed on Monday (March 2) in Abyan governorate in South Yemen after carrying out an evasive maneuver to avoid a surface-to-air missile launched by Houthi forces from neighboring Al-Bayda governorate, according to local press and military sources.

Field sources said the aircraft, identified as a Wing Loong II, had been conducting an aerial reconnaissance mission covering Al-Dhalea governorate and parts of Lahj governorate before continuing toward Abyan.

The sources added that the drone was tracked by Houthi elements positioned in Mukayras district, located between Abyan and Al-Bayda — an area that has witnessed intermittent military activity in recent years.

Image of the drone believed to be Saudi operated that crashed in Abyan on March 2, 2026 (Local media).

Military sources indicated that a surface-to-air missile was launched from the village of Al-Buwaib in Mukayras. According to preliminary assessments cited by the sources, the missile did not directly hit the drone; however, a nearby detonation caused damage to the propeller and affected the stabilization and balance systems, resulting in a technical malfunction that forced the aircraft to crash in the Khabar Al-Maraqisha area of Ahwar district in Abyan.

No immediate reports of casualties were received.

There was no immediate comment from Saudi authorities regarding the incident, and the Houthi group has not officially claimed responsibility.

In a separate development on Monday, images circulated showing a smaller drone that reportedly fell in an area between Russud and Al-Saadi in Yafa, Lahj governorate. Southern military sources told South24 Center that the drone is believed to be Houthi-operated, though no official confirmation has been issued by the group.

Image of the smaller drone believed to be Houthi-operated that reportedly fell in Yafa on March 2, 2026 (Social media activists).

These incidents come amid sustained and intensified aerial activity over Al-Dhalea governorate and parts of Lahj since early January. Local sources say reconnaissance flights and drone operations have continued regularly following Saudi airstrikes that targeted Al-Dhalea on January 7, amid tensions linked to disputes with the Southern Transitional Council (STC).

While some sources suggest that the continued flights are aimed at monitoring STC positions or tracking the movements of its leadership, which has been absent for weeks under the leadership of Aidarous Al-Zubaidi, other sources believe the flights are focused on monitoring camps belonging to the Southern Forces in the governorate.

South24 has not independently verified these claims. No official clarification has been issued by the Saudi side regarding the nature or scope of the ongoing aerial operations.

A Saudi military spokesperson had stated last January, in conjunction with more than 50 airstrikes on Al-Dhalea that resulted in civilian casualties, that STC President Aidarous Al-Zubaidi had departed to the UAE. The STC denied this claim on several occasions.

These developments coincide with escalating regional tensions following recent U.S.-Israeli strikes inside Iran and subsequent Iranian retaliatory attacks across the Gulf and other Arab states.

In a speech delivered on February 28, Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi pledged “full readiness” to support Tehran, raising concerns over potential repercussions inside Yemen.