Yemeni missile strike on US F-16 Jet

Yemeni forces ( Ansarallah or Houthis) launched surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) at a US F-16 fighter jet over the Red Sea on Feb. 19, marking the first known instance of such an attack, according to senior US defense officials.

Three senior US defense officials told Fox News the missile, fired as the jet operated off the coast of Yemen, failed to hit its target. The Houthis also fired a SAM at an American MQ-9 Reaper drone flying over Yemen outside Houthi-controlled areas on the same day.

High-level discussions are currently underway within the US military on the best ways to confront the Houthis, according to Fox News.

Notably, Ansarallah Movement have not released any official statement regarding the operation.

The Houthis have attacked Israel in “solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza” amid the Israeli war that began on October 7, 2023, which has claimed over 48,339 lives, mostly womenandchildren.

Earlier, President Donald Trump once again classified Yemen’s Houthi movement (Ansarallah) as a “Foreign Terrorist Organization” (FTO), reinforcing his government’s tough stance on the group.