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Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Claim to Have Shot Down American Drone
The MQ-9 Reaper drone coat around $30 each
Photo by Senior Master Sgt. Paul Holcomb
Yemen’s Houthi rebels asserted on Friday that they had successfully downed an American drone, following the circulation of footage online purportedly showing the wreckage of an MQ-9 Reaper drone. The U.S. military has not yet acknowledged the incident.
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Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, the Houthi military spokesman, stated that rebels shot down the Reaper on Thursday using a surface-to-air missile. He claimed the drone was engaged in “hostile actions” in Yemen’s Marib province, still under the control of allies of Yemen’s exiled, internationally recognized government.
Despite the Houthi claims, the U.S. military has not responded to requests for comment. However, the rebels have a track record of shooting down American drones and have been supplied with weapons capable of high-altitude attacks by their main supporter, Iran.
Since the Houthi takeover of northern Yemen and the capital Sanaa in 2014, the U.S. military has reportedly lost at least five drones to the rebels. Reapers, valued at approximately $30 million each, have the capability to fly at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet and can remain airborne for up to 24 hours.
The alleged drone shootdown comes amid intensified Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The rebels are demanding an end to the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in the deaths of over 34,000 Palestinians. Hamas-led militants initiated the conflict on October 7, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 people and the taking of approximately 250 others as hostages.
According to the U.S. Maritime Administration, the Houthis have carried out more than 50 attacks on shipping since November, seizing one vessel and sinking another. While Houthi attacks have decreased recently due to a U.S.-led airstrike campaign in Yemen, shipping through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden continues to be impacted by the threat.
