Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, the spokesman for the Yemeni military forces, declared on April 27 that Sanaa had successfully attacked the British-owned MV Andromeda Star crude oil tanker and had shot down another MQ-9 Reaper drone.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) reports that three anti-ship ballistic missiles fired by the Yemeni military entered the Red Sea and slightly damaged the Andromeda Star. The MV Maisha, a second ship, was not harmed when one of the missiles landed close to it, according to CENTCOM.
An inquiry is under progress, according to an unidentified US military official who confirmed to CBS News on Saturday that a MQ-9 Reaper drone “crashed” within Yemen early on Friday.
Cost of the MQ-9 Reaper drone
Saree claims that the $30 million drone was shot down in Sadaa province by Yemeni air defenses. Since beginning its operations in support of Palestine last November, Yemen has shot down three MQ-9 Reaper drones, resulting in at least $90 million in losses for the US government.
The US has not succeeded in stopping Sanaa’s strikes on the Red Sea and Indian Ocean, despite starting an illegal war against the poorest nation in the Arab world.
Washington’s offer “an acknowledgement of legitimacy” to Houthi rebels
After Washington and London started bombing the nation, the Yemeni armed forces intensified their operation to target US and UK ships in addition to Israeli-affiliated ships that were passing through the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
The attacks have also not been stopped by an EU naval deployment in the Red Sea to “protect navigation,” with French and German officials stating that “the situation remains the same.”
Washington has extended an offer to Yemeni officials, in response to their failure, “an acknowledgment of its legitimacy” in exchange for Yemen’s remaining neutral in the Gaza conflict.
Yemeni sources claim that Washington promised to restore the damages, expel foreign forces from all occupied Yemeni territories and islands, and strike Ansarallah off the State Department’s “terrorism list” as soon as it stopped attacking Gaza.
The proposal also called for “accelerating the signing of a roadmap” with the Saudi-led coalition to end the nine-year conflict that has destroyed Yemen, as well as “severely reducing” the position of the PLC, which was nominated by Saudi Arabia.
However, Yemeni officials have insisted that unless Israel ceases the extermination of Palestinians in Gaza, they would continue operating in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Indian Ocean. The Houthis began attacking IDF from October 31st, 2023 with ballistic missiles.
Following the discovery of mass graves near several of Gaza’s hospitals, the Yemeni armed forces declared on April 22 that they will increase military operations against Israeli-linked ships in the Red, Arabian, and Indian oceans.