SANAA, June 2 (YPA) — A Saudi-led Apache helicopter was shot down in Yemen’s western coast by the air defense forces of the Yemeni army in battles over the past few hours, chief of the Supreme Revolutionary Committee Mohammed Ali al-Houthi said on his Twitter account on Saturday.

The chief said the Apache helicopter was shot down in the overnight battle west of Hais district. He said the army has made new gains on the ground against the occupation forces and their paid militias.

Al-Houthi also said the overnight fighting had inflicted heavy losses on the invading forces and enabled the army forces backed by the popular committees to recapture Mafrak al-Odain area in the western coast.

The new development on the ground came hours after an all-out offensive conducted by the army over Friday in al-Fazah area of nearby Tahita district killed at least 238 militants and bombed over 51 military vehicles from Abu Haron Battalion of Al-Amalika (Giant) Brigade, which commanded by Tarik Affash, a nephew of slain former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The targeted militias were from the southern province of Abyan and had been recruited by the Saudi-Emirates-led coalition occupation forces in the four-year-old war on Yemen.

Zak