DUBAI, December 28. /TASS/. The Houthis shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper drone over Yemen, said Yahya Saree, the group’s military spokesman.
"Yemeni air defense forces shot down an American MQ-9 drone carrying out hostile missions in the airspace of the al-Bayda province," he said in comments broadcast by the Houthi-owned Al Masirah television channel.
According to Saree, the rebels have destroyed 13 such US drones since the escalation began in the Middle East. According to the US Congressional Research Service, each drone is estimated to cost $30 million.
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 November last year.
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.