Yemeni Houthis carried out a drone strike on an “Israeli military target“ near the city of Tel Aviv, the spokesman for the rebel armed forces, Yahya Sariya, told Al Masirah TV channel.
The Israel Defense Forces earlier reported intercepting a drone approaching the country's airspace from the east. According to The Times of Israel, the Israeli military shot it down over the Arava desert in southern Israel.
The Houthis said they shot down a reconnaissance drone over Saada province that was used "in interest of the US and Israel".
"Yemen's air defense forces shot down a Giant Shark F360 reconnaissance drone operated by the US-Israeli enemy, which was carrying out hostile missions in the airspace of Saada province. The drone was destroyed by a locally manufactured surface-to-air missile", said Houthi spokesman Sariya.
The Giant Shark F360 is an electric fixed-wing VTOL drone developed by the Chinese company Viewpro. It is designed for various civilian missions, including long-term inspection and mapping missions, as well as light cargo delivery. Although its design and functionality allow it to be adapted for security and defense tasks, there is no information about its use by the US and Israeli armies for military purposes.
The Houthis regularly report the destruction of American MQ-9 Reaper reconnaissance and attack drones. In total, according to the Houthi spokesman, rebel forces have shot down 17 drones of this type since the beginning of the escalation in the Middle East. According to the US Congressional Research Service, the cost of each device is estimated at $ 30 million.
After the escalation of the conflict in the Gaza Strip in 2023, the Houthis warned that they would shell Israel and prevent ships associated with it from passing through the waters of the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Their attacks stopped after the Gaza ceasefire in mid-January 2025, but after its violation in early March, the rebels announced that they were resuming attacks on Israeli ships in the Red Sea and then began to try to attack targets in Israel with missiles again.
On March 15, the United States, on the orders of President Donald Trump, began carrying out massive strikes against Houthi targets, who control about a third of the territory of Yemen. According to the US Central Command, the operation is aimed at protecting American interests and ensuring freedom of navigation. In response, the Houthis launched a series of attacks on the US aircraft carrier "Harry Truman" in the northern Red Sea, using missiles and drones. There is no information about damage to the ship as a result of the strikes.