SANAA, Yemen — Helicopters were flying at a low altitude in the sky of Sanaa Sept. 21, a scene not witnessed by Yemenis since 2015. The helicopters, this time, were not on a military mission or transferring soldiers from one place to another; they dropped small packages containing chocolate, raisins and leaflets.
The Iran-allied Houthi group operated the helicopters to commemorate the eighth anniversary of their takeover of Sanaa. On Sept. 21, 2014, Sanaa fell to the group's fighters who were armed with Kalashnikovs and mortar shells. Today, they fly helicopters.