Mysterious Loitering Missile Linked To Iran Spotted Again In Yemen (Photos)

On October 24, the Yemeni al-Masdar Online released photos showing the wreckage of a 358 loitering missile that is allegedly made by Iran.

The source who provided the news outlet with the photos claimed that the pro-Saudi wing of the Yemeni military found the missile wreckage in the district of Sirwah in the central Yemeni province of Ma’rib in July.

“The army found the missile wreckage last July, when the Houthis [Ansar Allah] announced the downing of a US MQ-9 drone in Serwah,” the source said.

The source claims don’t add up. The Houthis didn’t make such an announcement in July, they did so in March. Back then, a combat drone was indeed shot down. However, it was not a MQ-9 as the Houthis claimed. The drone was a Chinese-made CASC CH-4В of the Saudi military.

The 358 missile is equipped with an infrared seeker, a laser proximity fuse and a micro-turbojet engine. The loitering missile is reportedly designed to engage low speed aerial targets, such as drones and helicopters. The missile is also thought to be capable of targeting ground targets with high-precision.

حطام صاروخ (358) في مارب،اليمن.#اليمن pic.twitter.com/vFWWROhdhr

— عَلِيّ الْكِنْدِيّ (@AliAlkindi89) October 25, 2021

Al-Masdar Online source claimed that the missile has a maximum engagement celling of eight kilometers and a range of up to 100 km. These claims may be false.

The mysterious missile was first seen in a weapons shipment the US Navy seized off the shores of Yemen last year. The shipment was allegedly sent from Iran to the Houthis.

Earlier this month, Iraqi security forces uncovered an intact 358 missile near a base of the Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Units in the northern Iraqi province of Saladin. The missile could soon appear in other parts of the Middle East where Iran allies are active, like in Syria.

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