7 months ago
32
NEW DELHI:
Yemen
's
Houthi rebels
claimed on Saturday that they had shot down another US military MQ-9 Reaper drone, releasing footage of parts that matched known components of the unmanned aircraft. The Houthis stated that they used a surface-to-air missile to bring down the Reaper, as part of a renewed series of attacks this week by the rebels following a relative lull in their pressure campaign during the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.
"A US Air Force MQ-9 drone crashed in Yemen," confirmed US Air Force Lt. Col. Bryon J. McGarry, a Defence Department spokesperson, to The Associated Press on Saturday. He added that an investigation was ongoing, without providing further details.
The Houthis reported that the downing occurred on Thursday over their stronghold in the country's Saada province. The footage they released included what they described as the missile launch targeting the drone, with a man off-camera reciting the Houthi's slogan after it was hit: "God is the greatest; death to America; death to Israel; curse the Jews; victory to Islam."
The footage also featured several close-ups of drone parts, including the logo of General Atomics, the drone's manufacturer, and serial numbers corresponding to known components made by the company.
Since the Houthis took control of the country's north and its capital, Sanaa, in 2014, the US military has lost at least five drones to the rebel. Apart from Thursday's shootdown, US has lost drones in 2017, 2019, 2023, and one earlier this year. Reapers, which cost approximately USD 30 million each, can fly at altitudes up to 50,000 feet and have an endurance of up to 24 hours before needing to land.
Meanwhile, since November, the Houthis have launched more than 50 attacks on shipping, seized one vessel, and sunk another, according to the US Maritime Administration. Houthi attacks have decreased in recent weeks as the rebels have been targeted by a US-led airstrike campaign in Yemen. Shipping through the
Red Sea
and
Gulf of Aden
has declined due to the threat. American officials have speculated that the rebels may be running out of weapons as a result of the US-led campaign against them and after firing drones and missiles steadily in recent months. However, the rebels have renewed their attacks in the last week.
