Daijiworld Media Network- Sanaa
Sanaa, Apr 23: In a significant escalation in the Red Sea region, Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Tuesday claimed to have shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper drone and launched fresh assaults targeting two American aircraft carriers. The drone was reportedly operating over the northwestern Hajjah province at the time of the attack.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea, speaking on Houthi-run al-Masirah TV, confirmed the development. “We shot down a hostile American MQ-9 drone while it was conducting aggressive operations in Hajjah airspace,” he said, adding that the attack was carried out using a domestically manufactured surface-to-air missile.
According to Sarea, this marks the seventh American drone shot down by the group in April alone and the 22nd since November 2023—a tally that underscores the group’s growing air defense capabilities.
The Houthis also reported having launched a twin-pronged military operation against two US Navy aircraft carriers—the USS Harry S. Truman and the USS Carl Vinson—and their supporting fleet in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea. The operations reportedly involved both cruise missiles and drones.
"We are prepared to confront and respond to any US military escalation," Sarea stated, emphasizing the group’s resolve to continue their operations until Israel’s military campaign in Gaza ceases and the blockade on the Palestinian enclave is lifted.
The announcement comes amid an intensifying campaign of US-led airstrikes on Houthi positions in northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa. Although multiple strikes were reported on Tuesday, no official casualty figures have been released. The Houthis, who maintain control over large swathes of northern Yemen, often refrain from disclosing losses sustained in such operations.
Tensions have continued to mount since the US resumed airstrikes on Houthi targets on March 15, aimed at curbing the group's aggression toward American naval assets and its vocal support for the Palestinian cause in Gaza. The situation remains volatile as regional dynamics further complicate prospects for de-escalation.