SANAA, YEMEN (RELEASED ON APRIL 19, 2025) (USERS MUST CREDIT "HOUTHI PRESS OFFICE" HANDOUT, MUST NOT OBSCURE LOGO ---EDITORIAL USE ONLY) COMPLETE SHOTLIST TO FOLLOW SANAA, YEMEN (RELEASED ON APRIL 19, 2025) (USERS MUST CREDIT "HOUTHI PRESS OFFICE" HANDOUT, MUST NOT OBSCURE LOGO ---EDITORIAL USE ONLY) The Houthi group announced on Saturday, Apr. 19, that its air defenses had shot down a second US MQ-9 Reaper drone within 24 hours, accusing the aircraft of conducting "hostile activities" over the Yemeni capital, Sanaa. Yahya Sare’e, the group’s spokesperson, stated in a release that the drone was targeted with a locally made surface-to-air missile. He said this marked the sixth US drone downed in April alone and the 21st since October 7, 2023. Sare’e reiterated the Houthis' stance, vowing to continue their operations in solidarity with Palestinians until "Israeli aggression on Gaza stops and the blockade is lifted." He warned that US airstrikes and civilian casualties would only strengthen their resolve. The US has not yet commented on the alleged drone shootdown. The announcement follows a US strike late Thursday on Yemen’s Ras Isa port in Al Hudaydah province, which reportedly killed 80 people and wounded 150, according to preliminary figures from the Houthi-run health ministry. Tensions have escalated since mid-March, when US President Donald Trump ordered "decisive and powerful military action" against the Houthis, later threatening to "completely annihilate" the group. Since November 2023, the Houthis have repeatedly attacked ships in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab Strait, and Gulf of Aden, citing solidarity with Gaza, where over 51,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s ongoing offensive. The group briefly paused attacks during a January ceasefire but resumed after Israel renewed strikes on Gaza last month.