< Back to 68k.news PK front page

Houthi rebels claim to shoot down US drone, amid Israel-Gaza war

Original source (on modern site) | Article images: [1] [2] [3]

Israel-Gaza war: Yemen's Houthi rebels claim to shoot down another US MQ-9 Predator drone as footage shows wreckage

Yemen's Houthi rebels on Friday claimed to have shot down an American drone, hours after footage circulated online of what appeared to be the wreckage of an MQ-9 Predator drone. The US military did not immediately acknowledge the incident.

If confirmed, this would be yet another Predator downed by the Houthis as they press their campaign over the Israel-Gaza war in the Gaza Strip.

Houthi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree claimed that rebels shot down the Predator on Thursday with a surface-to-air missile, promising to later release footage of the attack. He described the drone as "carrying out hostile actions" in Yemen's Marib province, which remains held by allies of Yemen's exiled, internationally recognised government.

Online video showed wreckage resembling the pieces of the Predator, as well as footage of that wreckage on fire.

Houthis claim they have shot down another American MQ-9 Reaper UAV in Yemeni airspace. Photo: X/@ al_daraji3

The US military did not respond to a request for comment over the Houthi claim. While the rebels have made claims about attacks that turned out later not to be true, they have a history of shooting down US drones and have been armed by their main benefactor, Iran, with weapons capable of high-altitude attack.

Since the Houthis seized the country's north and its capital of Sanaa in 2014, the US military has previously lost at least five drones to the rebels.

Reapers, which cost around US$30 million apiece, can fly at altitudes up to 50,000 feet and have an endurance of up to 24 hours before needing to land.

The drone shoot down comes as the Houthis launch attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, demanding Israel ends the war in Gaza, which has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians there. The war began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking some 250 others hostage.

A photo circulated online of what appeared to be the wreckage of an MQ-9 Predator drone. Photo: X/@ Micha Aranhel

The Houthis have launched more than 50 attacks on shipping, seized one vessel and sunk another since November, according to the US Maritime Administration.

Houthi attacks have dropped in recent weeks as the rebels have been targeted by a US-led air strike campaign in Yemen. Shipping through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden still remains low because of the threat, however.

< Back to 68k.news PK front page