Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
The armed Houthi group announced on Wednesday that it had shot down a U.S.-made MQ-9 Reaper drone while it was flying over the skies of Al-Jawf province in northeastern Yemen.
In an official statement, the group said this marks the third U.S. drone it has successfully targeted and downed within the past ten days, suggesting a possible escalation in tensions between the Houthis and the US amid ongoing regional unrest.
“The drone was conducting hostile missions in Yemeni airspace and was dealt with using a suitable air defense system,” the statement read, without providing further details about the type of weapon used or the exact location of the incident.
There has been no immediate comment from the US military or the U.S. Central Command regarding the claim.
The MQ-9 Reaper is a long-endurance, high-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle used primarily for surveillance and precision strikes. It has frequently been deployed over Yemen for counterterrorism operations and intelligence gathering.
The claim comes amid heightened tensions in the Red Sea, where the Houthis have repeatedly targeted U.S. and other allied vessels, claiming that theses operation is to support the Palestinians in Gaza against the Israeli aggressive.
Observers warn that the continued targeting of international military vessels could provoke a stronger military response and complicate efforts toward a political solution in the war-torn country.
