Houthis claim to have downed US drone over Yemen

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed on Tuesday that they successfully intercepted a US MQ-9 reconnaissance drone over the Red Sea, near the strategic port city of Hodeidah, the Xinhua news agency reported.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea stated on social media platform X that the drone was shot down while “violating Yemeni airspace and conducting hostile operations” in Hodeidah province.

According to Sarea, this marks the 15th aircraft targeted by Houthi forces during what they call the “ongoing Battle of the Promised Liberation and the Sacred Jihad,” a campaign they claim is in support of Gaza and Lebanon.

The US military and diplomatic officials have not yet responded to the Houthi claims.

The Houthi rebels have upped their attacks in the region since October of 2023, having launched drones and missiles towards Israel and targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea region in support for Gazans.

This escalation has included attacking US vessels. Last month, the Houthis for the first time fired surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) at a US F-16 fighter jet.

The incident occurred on Feb. 19, when the jet was flying off the coast of Yemen over the Red Sea. The missile failed to hit its target, according to the officials. On the same day, the Houthis also launched another SAM at an MQ-9 Reaper drone operating over Yemen.

In the wake of the uptick in Houthi attacks, the US during the Biden administration formed a coalition, made up of more than 20 countries, aimed at safeguarding commercial traffic in the Red Sea from attacks by the Houthis.

The coalition has repeatedly targeted Houthi facilities and weapons systems in Yemen, but the Houthis have been unfazed by the strikes and have vowed to continue their attacks.