Houthi rebels in Yemen reportedly shot down a US spy drone

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Yemen’s Houthi rebels shot down what they said was a U.S. drone early Friday, possibly the latest downing of a U.S. spy drone as the militants continue their attacks on the Red Sea corridor.

The US military has acknowledged that videos are circulating on the Internet showing a burning plane falling from the sky, as well as a field of burning debris in what they described behind the scenes as an area of Yemen’s Al-Jawf province. The military said it was investigating the incident, declining to go into detail.

In the low-quality night video, it was not immediately clear which plane was shot down. In a later statement, the Houthis said they had shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper drone.

The Houthis have surface-to-air missiles, such as the Iranian missile known as the 358, capable of shooting down aircraft. Iran denies arming the rebels, although Tehran-made weapons have been found on the battlefield and in shipping shipments heading to Yemen for Shiite Houthi rebels despite a UN arms embargo.

The Houthis have been a key component of Iran’s self-proclaimed “Axis of Resistance” during the wars in the Middle East, which includes Lebanon’s Hezbollah, Hamas and other militant groups.

Since the Houthis captured the north of the country and its capital Sanaa in 2014, the rebels have shot down MQ-9 Reaper drones in Yemen in 2017, 2019, 2023 and 2024. drones lost during this time.

The Reapers, which cost about $30 million each, can fly at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet (15,240 meters) and have a power reserve of up to 24 hours before they need to land. These planes have been flown over Yemen by both the US military and the CIA for years.

Since the war between Israel and Hamas began in the Gaza Strip in October 2023, the Houthis have attacked more than 90 merchant ships with missiles and drones. During this campaign they captured one ship and sank two, also killing four sailors. Other missiles and drones were either intercepted by the US-led coalition in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets, which also included Western warships.

The rebels say they are targeting ships linked to Israel, the US or Britain to end Israel’s campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. However, many of the ships attacked had little or no connection to the conflict, including some that were bound for Iran. The pace of Houthi naval attacks has also waxed and waned in recent months.

In October, the US military launched B-2 stealth bombers to attack underground bunkers used by the Houthis.