Qasef-1 suicide UAV
On September 22, two Qasef-1 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of the Yemeni Air Force [loyal to the Houthis] targeted a gathering of Saudi-backed fighters on the western coast of Yemen and a headquarters of the Saudi-led coalition on the Yemeni island of Seven Brothers in the Red Sea.
A source in the Yemeni Air Force told the Yemeni al-Masirah TV that the attacks were carried out after a “careful observation mission” and stated that the UAVs hit their targets “directly and accurately.”
The Qasef-1 is a copy of the Iranian-made “Ababil-2” UAV armed with 30kg warhead, according to a report of the Conflict Armament Research (CAR) group. The UAV can remain airborne and preform reconnaissance mission or it can dive and destroys its target by hitting it directly.
Since the beginning of this month, the Yemeni Air Force has stepped up its operations on the Saudi-led coalition throughout Yemen. This indicates that the Houthis are now producing more UAVs, likely with help from Iran.
