News – Yemen: Despite official silence from the Pentagon, sources within the Trump administration have confirmed to Fox News that an MQ-9 drone—announced by the Yemeni Armed Forces to have been shot down on Wednesday in Al-Jawf Governorate—was indeed brought down.

Fox News’ Chief National Security Correspondent, Jennifer Griffin, reported on Wednesday evening that administration sources stated that the Yemeni Armed Forces have downed a new American MQ-9 drone in Yemen, noting that this is the fourth drone of its kind to be downed in Yemen during the Trump administration since 3 March, and the third since the start of daily airstrikes on 15 March.

Griffin highlighted that the repeated downing of these drones underscores the failure of the aggression against Yemen to weaken Yemeni capabilities.

Posting on X, she wrote: “The US military has been bombing Yemen continuously for 25 days, using B-2 stealth bombers to drop bunker-busting bombs. Yet missiles continue to be launched from Yemen to shoot down these expensive American assets.”

A single MQ-9 drone is valued at over $32 million. Since November 2023, the Yemeni Armed Forces have reportedly shot down 18 such drones during the Promised Conquest and Holy Jihad operations.

In many instances, the Pentagon chooses to remain silent about these incidents to avoid significant embarrassment—particularly given that the MQ-9 is regarded as one of the most advanced and crucial unmanned combat aircraft in the US military’s global arsenal. Nevertheless, the continued success of Yemeni Air Defences in intercepting these drones often forces the United States to indirectly acknowledge the events via media outlets.

The history of MQ-9 drone shootdowns in Yemen dates back seven years, with the first recorded interception occurring on 1 October 2017. On that day, Yemeni Air Defences downed an MQ-9 drone conducting hostile operations over the capital, Sana'a. Footage of the downing was broadcast, delivering a significant shock to the US-Saudi aggression. Following that incident, the use of this drone type became more limited in light of the growing threat posed by Yemeni Air Defences.

Further incidents occurred in the years that followed. In June 2019, a second MQ-9 was shot down over Hodeidah Governorate. In August of the same year, a third was downed in Dhamar Governorate. Then, in March 2021, a fourth was brought down in Marib Governorate.

These successful interceptions challenge Washington’s assumption that Yemen’s Air Defences are confined to specific areas. Instead, they reinforce the view that Yemen possesses the capability to defend its airspace comprehensively and deliver significant blows to hostile aerial threats.