Houthi Rebels Claim to Have Downed Another US MQ-9 Drone Over Yemen

Yemen’s Houthi rebels announced that they had shot down an American-made MQ-9 Reaper drone over the country’s Marib province, a region that has been the site of ongoing conflict between the Houthis and Saudi-led coalition forces, the Associated Press reports.
The US military, however, has not confirmed the claim, released on Sunday, stating it had “received no reports” of a drone being downed in the area.
The Houthi military spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, made the announcement in a video message but did not provide any evidence, such as photos or footage, to back the claim. While the Houthis have presented such proof in the past, it is common for this material to emerge later in propaganda releases.
Since the Houthis seized Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in 2014, they have regularly targeted US military drones, including the advanced MQ-9, which costs around $30 million each and is used for both surveillance and combat operations. The downing of these drones has reportedly increased following the start of the Israel-Hamas war, with the Houthis also ramping up attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
In response to the alleged drone downing, Houthi sources reported US airstrikes over Houthi-controlled territory near the city of Ibb. Later, US Central Command confirmed the destruction of Houthi military targets, including missile systems and drones, though it did not provide details linking the strikes to the drone claim.
The Houthis, who have been backed by Iran, claim that their actions, including targeting merchant ships in the Red Sea, are in support of the Palestinian cause and in retaliation for Israel’s operations in Gaza. However, many of the vessels they have attacked have had no direct connection to the Israel-Hamas conflict.