The Houthis announced that they had shot down an American drone in the skies over Marib on Saturday. The military spokesman for the group, Yahya Sari, stated that the downed aircraft was of the “(MQ-9)” type, marking the eighth of this kind to be shot down. It is noteworthy that this drone is expensive, with a manufacturing cost of $30 million, and it can fly at high altitudes and remain airborne for up to 24 hours.
There have been previous incidents involving the downing of drones of the same type over the provinces of Saada, Marib, and Al Bayda. The Houthis began launching attacks on ships in the Red Sea since November of last year, claiming that these attacks are in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza amid the conflict with Israel. During these attacks, the Houthis sank two ships and seized another, resulting in the deaths of at least three sailors.
