Saada – The Houthi group in Yemen claimed responsibility for shooting down a U.S. MQ-9 drone over the northern province of Saada on Tuesday, marking the second such incident reported by the group in less than 72 hours.

According to Namibia Press Agency, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea stated in a broadcast on al-Masirah TV that the drone was engaged in "hostile, espionage and combat operations" when it was downed. "This is the second U.S. drone we downed in less than 72 hours," Sarea said, referring to a prior incident on Saturday over the central province of Marib. He further claimed, "This is the ninth drone of the same type we have shot down since October last year," emphasizing the group's ongoing efforts to target what he described as "Israeli-linked" ships.

While the U.S. military has not yet responded to the latest Houthi claims about the drone, it announced earlier on the social media platform X that it had destroyed two Houthi missile systems in northern Yemen. "In the past 24 hours, U.S. Central Command forces successfully destroyed two Iranian-backed Houthi missile systems and one support vehicle in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen," the U.S. military detailed, adding that a Houthi unmanned aerial vehicle was also destroyed over the Red Sea.

The backdrop to these incidents includes ongoing attacks from both sides since November last year, when the Houthis began targeting "Israeli-linked" cargo ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden with anti-ship missiles and drone attacks, expressing solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. In response, the U.S.-British naval coalition has conducted regular air raids and missile strikes against Houthi targets since January, aiming to deter further aggression from the group.