MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Two unused missiles have fallen in the hands of Houthi rebels in Yemen after a Saudi F-16 jet was shot down on the outskirts of the capital, Sanaa, the Yemen Post newspaper reports.

Houthis have sent hundreds of militants to the site of the downed aircraft in search of the pilot, who is still missing, the newspaper said on its official Twitter page in the early hours of Sunday.

The report has not been officially confirmed.

Yemen has been in a state of civil war since 2014, when the opposition Shiite Houthis took control of large parts of the country, prompting President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi to seek safe haven in Saudi Arabia.

In March 2015, a Saudi Arabia-led coalition of mainly Gulf countries launched an airstrikes campaign against Houthi positions in Yemen, following a request from Hadi.

In late April, the coalition announced it would end its military operation in the country, but the airstrikes have continued. On the ground, Houthis have been opposed by forces loyal to Hadi