Houthis Claim to Have Shot Down US Drone Over Al Hudaydah By The Media Line Staff Yemen’s Houthi forces claimed on Tuesday that they shot down a US MQ-9 reconnaissance drone near the Red Sea port city of Al Hudaydah. The group, which controls much of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, has increasingly targeted […]
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The Media Line: Houthis Claim to Have Shot Down US Drone Over Al Hudaydah
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Houthis Claim to Have Shot Down US Drone Over Al Hudaydah
By The Media Line Staff
Yemen’s Houthi forces claimed on Tuesday that they shot down a US MQ-9 reconnaissance drone near the Red Sea port city of Al Hudaydah. The group, which controls much of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, has increasingly targeted what it describes as hostile foreign military activity in the region.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said on the social media platform X that the drone was intercepted while “violating Yemeni airspace and conducting hostile operations” in Al Hudaydah province. He stated that it was the 15th aircraft brought down by the group as part of what they call the “Battle of the Promised Liberation and the Sacred Jihad,” a campaign they claim supports Gaza and Lebanon.
The US has not commented on the Houthi claim, but American MQ-9 drones have previously been downed in Yemen. The Houthis, backed by Iran, have expanded their military operations in the Red Sea in recent months, targeting commercial and naval vessels they allege are linked to Israel. These attacks have intensified since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, with the Houthis framing their actions as support for Palestinians.
The ongoing instability in Yemen stems from years of civil war between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition, which supports the internationally recognized Yemeni government. The conflict has left Yemen in a humanitarian crisis while also turning it into a battleground for regional power struggles.