Houthi Military Spokesperson Makes Statements
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Seri said in a statement to local television channel Al-Masirah, “Our air defences shot down a US MQ-9 drone that was conducting hostile espionage and combat operations in the skies over the city of Saada.” Seri also stated that the total number of UCAVs destroyed increased to 9. Earlier, it was announced that another US drone was shot down on 7 September.
The Houthis’ spokesperson, describing themselves as the front of support for the Gaza Strip against the US and Israel, said, “Thus, the number of MQ-9-type UCAVs we shot down during the Promised Conquest and Holy Jihad War, which we launched in support of the Aqsa Flood, increased to 9. ” The MQ-9 type UCAVs destroyed by the Houthis can reach an altitude of up to 50 thousand feet and can stay in the air for up to 24 hours without landing. It is also known that the unit cost of the MQ-9 Reaper UAV is approximately 31 million dollars.
Situation in the Red Sea
In Yemen, the Houthis, supported by Iran, started to seize commercial ships belonging to Israeli companies off the coast of Yemen as of 31 October 2023 in response to Israel’s attacks in Gaza. In addition, some ships have been attacked by drones and missiles. These actions of the Houthis have led to the decision of many shipping companies to suspend their voyages in the Red Sea.
On 18 December 2023, theUnited States announced the formation of a multinational naval task force, Operation Welfare Guardian, against Houthi forces with the participation of a group of countries on the grounds that the security of global maritime trade was endangered. Following the US and UK attacks on the areas under their control in Yemen, the Houthis announced that they would target all ships of these countries.
