Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed on Saturday that they had shot over another US defense MQ-9 Reaper aircraft, releasing images of components that matched those found in the autonomous aircraft’s pieces. The Houthis claimed to have used a surface-to-air weapon to destroy the Reaper as part of a series of rebellious problems this week following a comparative thaw in their force plan during the Israel-Hamas conflict in the Gaza Strip.
” A US Air Force MQ- 9 helicopter crashed in Yemen”, confirmed US Air Force Lt. Col. Bryon J. McGarry, a Defence Department director, to The Associated Press on Saturday. He added that an exploration was continued, without providing additional information.
The Houthis claimed that the killing took place on Thursday over their stronghold in Saada territory. The images they released included what they described as the weapon start targeting the aircraft, with a guy off- cameras reciting the Houthi’s slogan after it was hit:” God is the greatest, death to America, death to Israel, scourge 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. As the rebels have been targeted by a US-led airstrike campaign in Yemen, the attacks have decreased in recent weeks. Due to the threat, shipping through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden has decreased. According to American officials, the rebels may be running out of weapons as a result of the US-led campaign against them and after consistently firing drones and missiles in recent months. However, the rebels have renewed their attacks in the last week.
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