Houthis down seventh U.S. MQ-9 drone in April
ALBAWABA- Yemen's Ansar Allah (Houthis) announced on Monday that they have downed a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone over Hajjah Governorate.
This marks the seventh American drone shot down by the group in April alone, according to Houthi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree.
Saree confirmed that the drone was conducting 'hostile missions' in Yemeni airspace and was intercepted using a locally produced surface-to-air missile.
🇾🇪/🇺🇸✈️💥The Yemeni army downed another US MQ-9 drone on April 18.📊 This incident marks the 24th MQ-9 drone downed throughout the Yemeni conflict.
💸 The loss of these MQ-9s represents a significant cost for the US military, estimated at $736 million.#Yemen #US pic.twitter.com/vG7AIgExJL — IWN (@A7_Mirza) April 19, 2025
In a broader show of force, the Houthis also claimed to have targeted two U.S. aircraft carriers, USS Harry S. Truman and USS Carl Vinson, with cruise missiles and drones in operations carried out in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea.
Saree declared that the group's military capability has only strengthened in recent weeks despite sustained U.S. attacks.
بيان القوات المسلحة اليمنية بشأن استهداف حاملتي الطائرات الأمريكيتين، وإسقاط طائرة أمريكية نوع MQ_9 في سواحل محافظة حجة، وهي السابعة التي أسقطتها دفاعاتُنا الجوية خلال أبريل الجاري والثانية والعشرين خلال معركة الفتح الموعود والجهاد المقدس إسنادا لغزة. pic.twitter.com/IBCHGhOPqh — العميد يحيى سريع (@army21yemen) April 22, 2025
Meanwhile, Saree stated that drone attacks were also launched on Israeli cities, including Eilat and Ashkelon, in retaliation for American and Israeli operations in the region.
Since March 15, U.S. airstrikes on Yemeni cities have intensified, reportedly leaving hundreds dead or wounded, as part of what Washington calls a campaign to neutralize Houthi threats to international shipping lanes and regional allies.
Speaking today, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that strikes in Yemen have specifically targeted Houthi leadership, weapons depots, and command centers.
Trump stressed that these operations would continue until threats to U.S. interests and Red Sea navigation are fully eliminated.
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