The Houthis reported the destruction of a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone over Yemen

In Yemen, the Houthis shot down an American unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) MQ-9 Reaper in the skies above al-Bayda province. This was reported by the military representative of the Houthis Yahya Saria in his Telegram channel on December 28.

"The air defense of the Yemeni Armed Forces shot down an American MQ-9 drone carrying out hostile missions in the airspace of al-Bayda province. The drone was shot down by a locally-made surface-to-air missile," Saria wrote."

The Yemeni Houthi military spokesman added that this is the 13th UAV that the air defense system has managed to shoot down recently.

Earlier on Dec. 22, Saria said the Houthis shot down a U.S. Navy F/A-18 fighter jet while attacking the aircraft carrier Harry Truman in the Red Sea. Saria noted that their attack caused most of the enemy warplanes to leave Yemeni airspace to defend the attacked aircraft carrier in the Red Sea.

The Houthis began targeting ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November last year in protest against Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip. On the night of Jan. 12, in response to their actions, the U.S. and Britain launched an attack on Houthi targets in Yemen. The White House said the strikes on movement-controlled areas of the country were defensive in nature. It was also claimed at the time that the strikes were carried out to protect international vessels.