Ankara: Yemen's Houthi group announced Wednesday that they had successfully shot down a US drone and launched attacks on Israeli and American targets. Military spokesman Yahya Saree stated that a US MQ-9 drone was intercepted while it was engaged in hostile missions over the Al-Jawf province in northeastern Yemen. The drone was brought down using a domestically made surface-to-air missile.
According to Anadolu Agency, this incident marks the third drone downed by the group in the past ten days and the 18th since they began military operations in support of Gaza amidst what they describe as Israel's genocidal war against the Palestinian enclave since October 2023. In addition to the drone interception, Houthi forces targeted an Israeli military site in Tel Aviv using a drone, though details of the attack were not disclosed. Drones also targeted hostile warships in the Red Sea, including the US aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, Saree added. There has been no immediate response from Israel or the United States regarding these claims.
The Houthi spokesman further alleged that US airstrikes have continued across various areas in Yemen, leading to civilian casualties. The Houthi-run Health Ministry reported that 13 people, including six women and four children, were killed in US airstrikes in the Al-Hawak district of Al-Hudaydah province. Additionally, the Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV channel reported US strikes targeting telecommunications networks in the provinces of Ibb and Amran.
Further reports from Al-Masirah indicated that the Rujam area in the Bani Hashish district of Sanaa was struck by four American airstrikes, and additional strikes were launched on the Al-Nahdin area in the al-Sabeen district of Sanaa, though the specific targets were not clarified. The Ministry of Health later stated that the airstrikes in the Al-Nahdin area resulted in the deaths of three civilians.
According to figures from the Houthi-run Health Ministry, US airstrikes in Yemen have resulted in the deaths of at least 116 civilians and injuries to 224 others since March 15. Last month, US President Donald Trump announced he had ordered decisive military action against the Houthis, threatening to completely annihilate them. The Houthis have been targeting ships in the Red and Arabian seas, the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and the Gulf of Aden since November 2023, expressing solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel has reportedly killed over 50,800 people. The group had paused their attacks following a Gaza ceasefire in January, but resumed them after renewed Israeli airstrikes on Gaza last month.