DUBAI, November 8. /TASS/. Houthi rebels said they shot down an US MQ-9 Reaper drone over Yemen’s al-Jawf province.
"Our air defenses destroyed an American MQ-9 over the Al-Jawf province. The wreckage of the downed drone fell near the border between Yemen and Saudi Arabia," a Houthi source told TASS.
According to the source, the Houthis intercepted the drone with a surface-to-air missile known as the 358. The missiles are believed to be manufactured by Iran, a supporter of the rebel group. In November 2019, the US Navy intercepted an Iranian cargo ship carrying weapons for the Houthis. That was the first time when kits for the assembly of a previously unknown missile were found - after a search of the vessel. The Pentagon designated the missile the 358.
The group’s military spokesman, Yahya Saree, also said the Houthis shot down an MQ-9 Reaper that was on a "hostile mission" over the al-Jawf province.
He said the Houthis have destroyed 12 US drones of this type since the escalation in the Middle East started.
The MQ-9 Reaper is an attack drone developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems for the US Air Force. It can stay in the air for more than 24 hours and carry up to 1.7 tons of payload, including missiles, guided bombs and reconnaissance equipment. One drone costs about $30 million.
Situation in Yemen
Following the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis, also known as the Ansar Allah group, said they would strike Israeli territory and prevent ships affiliated with that country from passing through the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait until the operation in the Palestinian enclave ended. The Houthis have attacked dozens of civilian ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since mid-November.
In response to these attacks, the US and UK announced preparations for Operation Prosperity Guardian to ensure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea. Afterward, the UK and US started carrying out regular strikes on Houthi military sites in various Yemeni provinces.