The Houthis (Ansar Allah) shot down an MQ-9 Reaper combat drone of the United States military on April 19, the second in less than 24 hours.
The MQ-9 was shot down while conducting “hostile operations” over the region surrounding the capital, Sanaa, Houthi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree said in a statement, noting that the drone was targeted with “a locally-made surface-to-air missile.”
“This was the second drone our air defenses have successfully shot down in 24 hours and the sixth during the current month of April. This brings the number of drones shot down during the Battle of the Promised Victory and Holy Jihad to 21,” the spokesman added.
“The continued airstrikes and targeting of civilians, their property, as well as public and private facilities will not break the will of the faithful, struggling Yemeni people. They will only lead to greater steadfastness and unwavering support for the oppressed Palestinian people in the face of the genocidal war crime being perpetrated by the Zionist enemy against our people in Gaza,” he concluded.
MQ-9 combat drones, which cost upwards of $30 million per a unit, are primarily used to collect intelligence, but have the ability to conduct pinpoint strikes. The advanced drones can operate for more than 27 hours and reach altitudes of over 25,000 feet. More than 300 drones are said to be in service with the U.S. military.
Just a day earlier, the Houthis shot down an MQ-9 over Sanaa. The U.S. military acknowledged the aerial loss, without providing any details.
While the Houthis do not have a traditional air defense network, they do possess several types of medium-range surface-to-air missiles that can engage targets flying at high altitudes like MQ-9 drones.
These missiles are the Fater-1, a copy of the Soviet-made 3M9 used in the Kub system with a range a little bit over 22 kilometers, the Barq-1 and 2, both are thought to be derivative of the Iranian-made Taer-2 with a range of 50 and 70 kilometers respectively.
The group also operates an Iranian-made missile-drone hybrid identified by the U.S. military and intelligence as type 358. The interceptor is said to have a range of 150 kilometers.
The U.S. military resumed strikes against the Houthis on March 15 on orders from President Donald Trump, who said at the time that the large-scale operation was launched in response to the group’s renewed attacks on Israel-affiliated shipping in the Red Sea.
In response, the Houthis began resumed attacks on U.S. Navy warships near Yemen and began to target U.S. combat drones operating over the country again.
The ongoing U.S. operation in Yemen is yet to deter the Houthis or to degrade their military capabilities. Still, the Trump administration will not likely back down.
Before that, there was one more: 
The Houthis (Ansar Allah) announced on April 18 that they launched another missile at Israel, targeted two United States aircraft carriers and shot down another combat drone, less than a day after a deadly American attack on Yemen’s Red Sea coast.
In a statement, Houthi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree said that the group launched a Zulfiqar ballistic missile at a “military target” located near Ben Gurion Airport in central Israel in response to what it called “the genocidal war” on the Gaza Strip.
The Houthsi also targeted the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman and USS Carl Vinson, in addition to other U.S. Navy warships, in the Red and Arab seas with cruise missiles and suicide drones in response to “the American aggression” against Yemen, according to the spokesman, who vowed that the group will “meet escalation with escalation.”
“This was the first targeting of the carrier Vinson since its arrival in the Arabian Sea,” Brig. Gen. Saree said.
The spokesman announced in the same statement that the Houthis also shot down yet another MQ-9 Reaper combat drone, this time over the Yemeni capital, Sanaa.
“This was the fifth [drone] in three weeks, and the twentieth during the battle of the promised conquest and the holy jihad in support of Gaza,” he said.
And on the 9th of April the count was already 18 Reapers ripped apart.
Houthis Shot Down 18Th Drone Over Yemen Following Deadly U.S. Strikes (18+ Videos)
The Houthis (Ansar Allah) announced that they had shot down another MQ-9 Reaper combat drone on April 9, following another wave of deadly United States strikes on Yemen.
The drone was downed while it was conducting “hostile missions” over the northern province of Al-Jawf, Houthi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree said in a statement, noting that the drone was targeted with a “suitable locally-made missile.”
“This is the third aircraft that our air defenses have succeeded in shooting down in ten days and the eighteenth during the battle of the promised conquest and the holy jihad in support of Gaza,” the spokesman added.
Overnight, more than 20 U.S. strikes targeted Houthi-controlled areas in western, central and northern Yemen, causing casualties and material losses.
The Houthi-run health ministry said that six people, including three children and two women, were killed and 16 others were wounded when a strike hit a residential area in the Hawak District in the western province of al-Hodeidah. Footage showing the aftermath of the strike were aired by Al-Masirah TV.
The news channel reported that three other people were wounded when three strikes hit farms in the central province of Dhamar.
At least ten additional strikes targeted Mount Nuqm in the eastern outskirts of the capital, Sanaa, according to Al-Masirah, which also reported a series of strikes on communication centers in the northern province of ‘Amran and the central province of Ibb.
The latest deaths have brought the number of people killed since the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) resumed strikes against Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen on March 15 on orders from President Donald Trump to 79. The toll reportedly includes both civilians and commanders of the Houthis.
CENTCOM has not yet provided any details on the targets it struck in Yemen, nor it confirmed losing another drone over the country.
The U.S. has reportedly spent more than $1 billion on the ongoing operation against the Houthis. Despite the high cost and the lack of any clear results, the Trump administration appears to be fully committed to the operation.
