A senior US defence official confirmed Wednesday that Yemen’s Houthi rebels shot down an American MQ-9 Reaper drone, corroborating an earlier allegation by the Iran-backed organization.
The Huthis, who have previously destroyed an American drone, claimed the MQ-9 was eavesdropping as part of the US’s backing for Israel in its war against Hamas.
“A US military MQ-9 remotely-piloted aircraft was shot down off the coast of Yemen by Houthi forces”, an official claimed.
The Huthis, who seized Yemen’s capital Sanaa in 2014 and now control vast swaths of the nation, claimed responsibility for the shooting earlier in the day.
“Our air defences were able to down an American MQ-9 while it was carrying out hostile surveillance and espionage activities in Yemeni territorial waters as part of American military support in support of Israel”, the Huthis claimed in a statement.
The US sent military aid to Israel and increased American personnel in the region after Hamas militants launched a surprise cross-border raid from Gaza on October 7, killing more than 1,400 people, according to Israeli officials.
Israel’s military replied with a relentless air, land, and naval assault on Gaza, killing more than 10,500 Palestinians, according to the territory’s health ministry, prompting widespread outrage in the area.
The Huthis have repeatedly threatened Israel in recent weeks, and the US Navy intercepted several Huthis missiles last month.
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