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On Saturday evening, Sanaa government forces announced the downing of an American MQ-9 drone over the skies of Marib province, marking the eighth such aircraft shot down since last November.
In a televised statement, the military spokesperson for the Sanaa government forces, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, said, “Yemeni air defenses succeeded in shooting down an American MQ-9 drone while it was conducting hostile operations over Marib province.”
Saree pointed out that “this drone is the eighth of its kind to be shot down by the Yemeni Armed Forces during the Promised Victory and Holy Jihad operation in support of Gaza.”
Brigadier General Saree explained that this operation is part of “the victory for the injustice against the Palestinian people and its fighters, and in response to the American and British aggression against Yemen.”
He affirmed that “the Yemeni Armed Forces will continue to carry out their jihadist duties in defense of the Palestinian people’s plight and Yemen, and they are enhancing their defensive capabilities to counter the American and British aggression and respond by targeting their hostile military movements in the maritime operations area.”
بيان القوات المسلحة اليمنية بشأن إسقاط الدفاعات الجوية طائرة أمريكية نوع MQ_9 أثناء قيامِها بأعمال عدائية في أجواء محافظة مأرب وتعد هذه الطائرة هي الثامنة من هذا النوع والتي تنجح القوات المسلحة في إسقاطها خلال معركة الفتح الموعود والجهادالمقدس إسنادًا لغزة. pic.twitter.com/WnNMVYfSNH
— العميد يحيى سريع (@army21ye) September 7, 2024
On August 8, Sanaa government forces announced the downing of an American MQ-9 reconnaissance drone over the skies of Saada province. At the time, Brigadier General Yahya Saree explained that the drone was shot down by a locally-made surface-to-air missile, marking the seventh such aircraft downed by Sanaa forces since the beginning of the “Promised Victory and Holy Jihad operation in support of Gaza.”
The recent downing of the MQ-9 drone in Marib province adds to the list of drones shot down by Sanaa forces, making it the eighth such drone downed since the first one was shot down in early November 2023.
Military experts indicate that the continuous success of Sanaa forces in downing MQ-9 drones, which are known for their high capabilities and expensive cost, puts the United States in an embarrassing position, given its reliance on this type of aerial weapon for various missions. They emphasize that downing these drones requires a high level of skill.
The MQ-9 drone is known for its length of 11 meters, a wingspan of up to 20 meters, a height of 3.6 meters, and an empty weight of over two tons. It can reach a speed of 276 miles (444 kilometers) per hour. The American company General Atomics, one of the largest in the military industry sector, manufactures this drone, employing around 8,000 people.
