Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed on Saturday night that they successfully ambushed and downed a U.S. MQ-9 drone over Yemeni airspace.
“The Yemeni air defenses shot down an American MQ-9 aircraft while it was conducting hostile activities in the airspace of Ma'rib Governorate," announced the group's spokesman, Yahya Saree. He further asserted, "This is the eighth plane of its type that the Yemeni Armed Forces have succeeded in shooting down during the Battle of the Promised Victory and the Holy Jihad in support of Gaza."
Saree emphasized that the Yemeni forces would continue their operations: "The Yemeni Armed Forces continue to perform their jihadist duties in solidarity with the oppressed Palestinian people and in defense of beloved Yemen."
However, a U.S. defense official, speaking to Russia’s TASS news agency, indicated that the claim remains unverified. "We are aware of this reporting and currently have received no reports of any DOD assets being downed or damaged," said the official.
The Iranian-backed Houthis have escalated their attacks in the region since the onset of the Gaza war, launching drones toward southern Israel and targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea. In response to the growing threat, the U.S. has formed a coalition of more than 20 nations aimed at safeguarding commercial traffic from Houthi assaults in the Red Sea region.
* Arutz 7 contributed to this article.
