Illustrative image by the Houthis Military Media.
The Houthis (Ansar Allah) announced on September 7 that they had shot down another American-made Reaper combat drone in support of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip as well as in response to recent strikes on Yemen by the United States and the United Kingdom.
In a statement, Houthi military spokesman Brigade General Yahya Sarea said that the drone was shot down by Yemeni air defenses while it was conducting “hostile acts” over the central province of Ma’rib.
“This is the eighth aircraft of this type that the Yemeni Armed Forces have succeeded in shooting down during the battle of the promised conquest and the holy jihad in support of Gaza,” the spokesman said.
“The Yemeni Armed Forces continue to perform their jihadist duties in victory for the oppressed Palestinian people and in defense of dear Yemen, and with the help of God Almighty, they are in the process of strengthening their defensive capabilities to confront the American-British aggression and respond to it by targeting its hostile military movements in the naval operations area,” he added.
The Houthis released no pictures or video to support their claim as they have in the past, though such material can appear in the upcoming few days.
The U.S. military told The Associated Press it was aware of the claim but has “received no reports” of American military drones being downed over Yemen.
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.
Following the Houthi announcement, Yemen’s Al-Masirah news channel reported multiple “American-British” strikes in the southern province of Ibb.
Since November, the Houthis, who are backed by Iran, have attacked dozens of vessels affiliated with Israel or owned by the U.S. and the UK in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea in response to the war on Gaza.
The group also launched dozens of drones and missiles at Israel and shot down at least seven American-made combat drones over Yemen and nearby waters.
The U.S. and the UK have carried out hundreds of strikes against Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen since January. Israel also launched an attack against al-Hodeidah last month after a deadly drone strike on the city of Tel Aviv. However, the group remains undeterred.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence
NOW hosted at southfront.press
Previously, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.org.
The .org domain name had been blocked by the US (NATO) (https://southfront.press/southfront-org-blocked-by-u-s-controlled-global-internet-supervisor/) globally, outlawed and without any explanation
Back before that, from 2013 to 2015, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.com
