Yemen's Houthi Rebels Have Missiles That Can Shoot Down U.S. Drones

A drone aircraft is put on display at an exhibition at an unidentified location in Yemen in this undated photo released by the Houthi Media Office, July 9, 2019. Houthi Media Office/REUTERS

Al-Monitor: Houthis tout missiles that down advanced US drones

EIRUT — Yemen's Houthi rebels appear to be growing stronger by the day, shifting from conventional weaponry and guerrilla warfare to upgraded weapons and organized tactics. Whether these weapons were created locally, as the Houthis claim, or smuggled from Iran or even purchased on the sprawling black market in the Red Sea region, the Houthis have used them effectively.

As groups that were recently allied against the Houthis are now fighting each other for control of Yemen's temporary capital of Aden in the southwest, the Houthis claim to have used surface-to-air missiles to shoot down US drones in other areas.

“An MQ-9 Reaper was shot down [Aug. 20] in Dhamar province … by a locally developed missile that hit its target with high precision," Houthi spokesman Brig.-Gen. Yahya Sarih announced Aug. 21.

US Central Command responded quickly, stating, “We are investigating reports of an attack by Iranian-backed Houthis forces on a US [drone] in authorized airspace over Yemen,” and that Iran's support of the Houthis “poses a serious threat to stability in the region and our partners.”

Read more ....

WNU Editor: If the Houthis are able to do this, why not the Taliban? My gut tells me that the Houthis are receiving outside help, and it is probably Iran.