According to information obtained from a US official, an MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), belonging to the United States, was shot down by Houthi rebels off the coast of Yemen on Wednesday. This incident highlights the escalating tensions in the region. The US representative confirmed the incident, stating, “We can confirm that a remotely piloted MQ-9 military aircraft was shot down today by Houthi forces off the coast of Yemen.”
Earlier, the Ansar Allah movement, ruling in northern Yemen, claimed responsibility for shooting down the American drone over the country’s territorial waters. Their military representative, Yahya al-Sarai, made this announcement on the Al-Masira channel.
On November 2nd, Yahya al-Sarai had previously stated that the Houthis had launched another drone strike against Israel.
This comes after the spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Brigadier General Daniel Hageri, stated that the Israeli military is prepared to defend against attacks similar in scale to the missile launches from Yemen on October 19th.
In response to these escalating tensions, the United States is swiftly deploying air defense and missile defense systems to the Middle East. The Wall Street Journal reports that around ten THAAD and Patriot systems are being sent. This move is seen as a precautionary measure ahead of Israel’s planned military operation in the Gaza sector. The intentions and targets of the United States in this deployment, as well as who they aim to protect, are being analyzed by military observer Mikhail Khodarenok of “Gazeta.Ru.”
Previously, the Houthi rebels had announced their plans to launch ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles, towards Israel. The downing of the US drone further escalates the situation, raising concerns about the potential for a wider conflict in the region.
