US is behind President Al-Sammad assassination: Military official

SANAA, April 27 (YPA) –  The United States of America was behind the assassination of the former president Saleh Al-Sammad in the western port city of Hodaida, commander of Yemeni air force said on Friday.

In a statement to Al-Masirah TV, Major General Ibrahim Al-Shami revealed that the aircraft that carried out the assassination operation was a US drone of MQ-9 type.

“This crime bears US hallmarks clearly,” he said, vowing that the response would seismic at the appropriate time and place.

On April 18, the Yemeni air defenses were able to bring down the second drone of MQ-9 type in Hodaida province, one day before the assassination of Al-Sammad by an aircraft of the same type belonging to US-backed Saudi-led coalition forces.

On October 1, 2017, a US espionage plane of the same type was downed by the Yemeni air defenses in the capital Sanaa.

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