Houthis Say They Downed U.S. Drone in Yemen's Regional Waters

The Ansar Allah (Houthi) group said Wednesday it shot down an American US MQ-9 drone, marking the first declared attack by the Houthis on the U.S. military asset in the region since the breakout of the Gaza-Israel war on October 7.

Houthi spokesperson Yahia Saree said in a statement that the American drone was downed while "conducting hostile acts of surveillance and reconnaissance in the airspace of the territorial waters of Yemen and as part of U.S. military support for the Israeli entity."

According to Saree, "the appropriate weapon" was used to target the American drone, saying that Yemen has the legitimate right to defend the country's security and confront threats.

He added, "The Sana'a forces will continue military operations against the Israeli entity in support and solidarity with the oppressed Palestinian people."

A US military source told the media that no information is available to corroborate the Houthi claim.

On Monday, the group fired a barrage of drones and missiles at Israel as the Gaza-Israel war enters the second month. That was the second time in a week the Houthis officially declared their responsibility for attacking Israel with drones and missiles in support of Palestinian fighters in Gaza.

While the Houthis intensify their missile and drone attacks on Israel and foreign forces in the Red Sea, they have lately launched several assaults on pro-government forces in Marib. Informed sources told Sheba Intelligence that the Houthi attacks and landmines left at least ten soldiers dead and several injured over the past few days.