The Houthis claim to have recently shot down an American drone as they try to fend off the US government’s attacks on their military installations in Yemen.
The Houthis, an Iran-backed Yemeni terror group, have been targeting US, Israeli, and allies’ ships since Hamas’ October 7th, 2023 attacks.
Houthi forces have orchestrated drone and missile attacks against US military and commercial ships and increasingly directly attacked Israel’s civilian population.
According to Houthi officials, the US drone is the 7th to be struck down this month.
“A hostile American MQ-9 drone was shot down while it was conducting hostile missions in Hajjah’s airspace,” said Houthi spokesperson Yahya Sarea.“The MQ-9 drone is the seventh drone we had shot down this April and the 22nd since November 2023.”
The US has pummeled the Houthis with daily strikes since President Donald Trump became president.
During former President Joe Biden’s administration, it is estimated the Houthis attacked US military and commercial ships over 300 times.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) released footage of the last round of strikes against the Houthis via X.
President Trump vowed to pursue a “maximum pressure campaign” against Iran, the Houthis, and other associated terror groups.
In recent months, the US has attempted to corner the Houthis with financial and military pressure.
Earlier in April, the US Treasury Department sanctioned Houthi entities purchasing weapons and commodities, such as stolen Ukrainian gran, from Russia.
However, the Houthis’ continued resistance to US pressure has reportedly prompted the US government to consider alternate avenues, such as supporting a ground invasion against the Houthis.
Yemeni pro-government militias are allegedly preparing to invade areas controlled by the Houthis to drive them out of key areas under their control.
US officials have not officially supported the ground invasion idea, but reports claim they could be helping coordinate them through back channels.
