Yemen's Houthis shoot down 13th MQ-9 Reaper drone

The spokesman for the armed forces of the Houthi movement, officially known as Ansar Allah, said on Saturday that the group shot down another American MQ-9 Reaper drone.

The spokesman said that the drone was shot down while it was carrying out missions in the Bayda governorate, an area located between the cities of Sanaa and Aden. He added that the drone was shot down using a "locally-made surface-to-air missile".

After Israel launched its war on Gaza, Ansar Allah responded by launching a blockade of Israeli-linked ships travelling in the Red Sea. After launching the blockade, the Houthis came in direct confrontation with the US, and Washington responded by launching a military operation against the Yemeni group.

This operation has included direct air strikes on Yemeni territory.

According to Ansar Allah, this is the 13th drone that the group has shot down since the Israeli war on Gaza began last October.

With each drone costing approximately $31m, that would mean that the total cost of the downed drones is more than $400m.

US Central Command has yet to comment on the statement from Ansar Allah.