SANAA, Jan 2 (NNN-SABA) – Yemen’s HouthiS said, they shot down a U.S.-made MQ-9 drone, over central Yemen yesterday, making it the second MQ-9 drone the group downed within 72 hours.
“We shot down an American MQ-9 aircraft, while it was carrying out hostile missions over Marib province,” Houthi military spokesperson, Yahya Sarea, said in a statement aired by Houthi-run al-Masirah TV.
“The plane was shot down with a locally-made surface-to-air missile,” he said. “This is … the 14th one of the same type we have shot down since Nov, 2023.”
Al-Masirah TV said, footage of the downed plane would be broadcast in the next hours.
The U.S. army has not commented on the Houthi claim.
The Houthis, which control much of northern Yemen, have been launching regular rocket and drone attacks against Israel, and disrupting “Israeli-linked” shipping in the Red Sea, since Nov, 2023, to show solidarity with the Palestinians, amid their conflict with Israel in the Gaza Strip.
In response, the U.S.-led navy coalition, stationed in the area, has regularly conducted air raids and strikes against Houthi targets to deter them, prompting the Houthis to expand attacks to include U.S. warships.
On Tuesday, the U.S. Central Command issued a statement on social media platform X, saying, its forces have conducted multiple precision strikes since Monday against Houthi targets in Sanaa and Houthi-controlled coastal regions in Yemen.– NNN-SABA
