US MQ-9 drone shot down over al-Jawf province: Yemen
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The Yemeni Armed Forces announced that their air defenses successfully shot down a US MQ-9 drone over al-Jawf province using a locally manufactured missile.
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![Brigadier Yahya Saree Qasim, spokesman for Yemen’s Houthi group on 3 May 2024 [MOHAMMED HUWAIS/AFP via Getty Images]](https://alpha-en-media.almayadeen.net/media/image/2025/4/9/1bbefb76-17bc-4859-a3ae-8e1fe4bb6409.jpg?width=1000)
Yemeni Brigadier Yahya Saree, spokesperson for Yemen’s Armed Forces, on May 3, 2024. (AFP via Getty Images)
The Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) announced on Wednesday that their air defenses successfully downed a US MQ9 drone in al-Jawf province using a locally produced missile.
In a statement, Armed Forces spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree confirmed that this marks the 18th drone intercepted during "Promised Conquest and Holy Struggle" and the third such incident in just 10 days.
Saree highlighted that this action is a direct response to the US' violation of Yemen's sovereignty amid continued US aggression against Yemen, which has involved multiple airstrikes in recent hours, causing casualties and damaging civilian infrastructure.
بيان القوات المسلحة اليمنية بشأن إسقاط الدفاعات الجوية طائرة أمريكية نوع MQ_9 أثناء قيامِها بتنفيذ أعمال عدائية في أجواء محافظة الجوف وذلك بصاروخ أرض جو محلي الصنع، وتعد هي الطائرة الثالثة خلال عشرة أيام والثامنة عشرة خلال معركة الفتح الموعود والجهاد المقدس إسنادا لغزة. pic.twitter.com/uDODGjiygg
— العميد يحيى سريع (@army21ye) April 9, 2025
He emphasized that the armed forces "will persist in their operations supporting Gaza and will continue fulfilling their defensive missions to counter any aggression against Yemen," adding that they are "fully prepared to responsibly address any attempts to undermine Yemen's sovereignty, security, and stability," and that their operations "will continue until the aggression against Gaza ends and the siege is lifted."
The US aggression against Yemen continues, with airstrikes targeting the capital, Sanaa, and the governorates of Ibb and Hodeidah at dawn. Further airstrikes struck the coastal cities of al-Hodeidah on Tuesday evening, along with Amran and Dhamar, resulting in multiple fatalities and numerous injuries.
Despite these ongoing attacks, the Yemeni Armed Forces remain committed to supporting the Gaza front, targeting Israeli occupation positions, the US aircraft carrier Truman, and warships in the Red Sea.
They have also taken measures to block Israeli and US navigation in key areas, including the Red and Arabian Seas, the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden.
US airstrikes kill, injure scores of civilians
The US-led aggression on Yemen targeted several locations with airstrikes on Tuesday, killing several people as rescue missions continue to extract people from under the rubble.
A US airstrike on a residential area in the al-Hawak district in Hodeidah killed four people and injured 16 others, according to a preliminary toll, with the Yemeni Ministry of Health stating that some casualties were still trapped under the rubble as rescue operations were underway.
Continuous efforts are underway to recover and rescue victims of the airstrikes on the Amin Muqbil residential neighborhood in al-Hawak District, the sources added, highlighting the Civil Defense teams' search and rescue efforts.
Meanwhile, Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported that four US airstrikes hit a residential neighborhood in the city of Amin Mubarak, southeast of Hodeidah, and according to preliminary figures released by Yemen’s Health Ministry, the strikes killed six people, including three children and two women, and wounded 16 others, most of whom are civilians, while rescue teams continue to search for victims in the area.
