Yemen’s Houthis downs another US drone over Sanaa
Shafaq News/ Yemen’s Houthi movement announced on Friday that its air defenses shot down a US drone over the skies of Sanaa governorate, marking the second such incident within 24 hours and the sixth so far in April.
In an official statement, the group’s military spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Yehya Saree said the drone was “conducting hostile missions” and was brought down using a “locally manufactured surface-to-air missile.”
“Our air defenses successfully shot down a hostile American MQ-9 drone,” the statement read, adding that this latest incident brings the total number of US drones the group claims to have downed during what it calls “the battle of the Promised Victory and Holy Jihad” to 21.
The group also condemned continued airstrikes on Houthi-controlled areas, accusing the United States of targeting civilian infrastructure and property. “These attacks will not break the will of the Yemeni people,” the statement said, warning that such actions would only fuel “greater steadfastness and unwavering support for the oppressed Palestinian people.”
The Houthis have launched a series of missile and drone attacks in recent months targeting Red Sea shipping routes and vessels they allege are linked to Israel, framing their campaign as a response to the war in Gaza. They describe the operations as part of a broader resistance against what they call “genocidal war crimes being perpetrated by the Zionist enemy.”
#معركة_الفتح_الموعود_والجهاد_المقدس pic.twitter.com/U7AyXlh0rY
— العميد يحيى سريع (@army21yemen) April 19, 2025
