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The Houthis (Ansar Allah) announced on April 9 that they had carried out several drone attacks, targeting Israel and warships of the United States Navy in response to the war on the Gaza Strip and recent strikes on Yemen.
The group attacked a “military target” close to the city of Tel Aviv in central Israel with a Yafa suicide drone, military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree said in a statement, adding more drones were launched at the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman and its strike group in the Red Sea.
“We will continue, relying on God, to prevent Israeli navigation in the Red and Arabian Seas.
We will continue, relying on God, to confront this brutal aggression.
We will continue, with God’s help, to support the oppressed Palestinian people until the aggression on Gaza stops and the siege is lifted,” the spokesman concluded.
The Yafa is a larger version of an Iranian suicide drone codenamed by the United States military and intelligence as KAS-04 with an estimated range of over 2,000 kilometers. The Houthis have been operating several versions of the KAS-04 dubbed Samad-1, 2, 3 and 4 for more than six years now.
The Israeli military intercepted two such drones in recent days. It is still unclear if the latest attack with the drone was a success.
The Houthis have also been targeting USS Harry S. Truman on a near daily basis since the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) resumed strikes against areas controlled by the group in Yemen on March 15 on orders from President Donald Trump. The command has not acknowledged any damage to the carrier or its group, so far.
Overnight, more than 20 U.S. strikes hit Houthi-controlled areas. In the western province of al-Hodeidah, 12 people, including four children and six women, were killed when a strike hit a residential area in the Hawak District, according to the Houthi-run health ministry.
Amid the deadly strikes, the Houthis managed to shoot down another U.S. MQ-9 Reaper combat drone over the northern province of Al-Jawf. Footage showing the wreckage of the drone was released later by the group.
MQ-9 combat drones, which cost upwards of $30 million per a unit, are primarily used to collect intelligence, but have the ability to conduct pinpoint strikes. The advanced drones can operate for more than 27 hours and reach altitudes of over 25,000 feet.
The U.S. operation against the Houthis has so far claimed the lives of more than 80 people. Despite taking some losses, the group remains undeterred.
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