Yemen’s Houthi rebels shoot down what witnesses say was a US drone as American military investigates

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Yemen’s Houthi rebels changeable down what bystanders described arsenic an American drone early Friday, perchance nan latest downing of a U.S. spy drone arsenic nan militants proceed their attacks connected nan Red Sea corridor.

The U.S. subject acknowledged nan videos circulating online showing what appeared to beryllium a flaming craft dropping retired of nan entity and a section of burning debris successful what those off-camera described arsenic an area of Yemen’s al-Jawf province. The subject said it was investigating nan incident, declining to elaborate further.

It wasn’t instantly clear what benignant of craft was changeable down successful nan low-quality nighttime video.

The Houthis person surface-to-air missiles tin of downing craft specified arsenic nan Iranian rocket known arsenic nan 358. Iran denies arming nan rebels, though Tehran-manufactured weaponry has been recovered connected nan battlefield and successful seaborne shipments heading to Yemen for nan Shiite Houthi rebels contempt a United Nations arms embargo.

The Houthis person been a cardinal constituent of Iran’s self-described “Axis of Resistance” during nan Mideast wars that includes Lebanon’s Hezbollah, Hamas and different militant groups.

The Houthis did not instantly declare work for downing nan aircraft. However, it tin return their fighters hours aliases moreover days aft an incident earlier they admit it.

Since Houthis seized nan country’s northbound and its superior of Sanaa successful 2014, nan rebels person changeable down MQ-9 Reaper drones successful Yemen successful 2017, 2019, 2023 and 2024. The U.S. subject has declined to connection a full fig for nan number of drones it has mislaid during that time.

Reapers, which costs astir $30 cardinal apiece, tin alert astatine altitudes up to 50,000 feet (15,240 meters) and person an endurance of up to 24 hours earlier needing to land. The craft person been flown by some nan U.S. subject and nan CIA complete Yemen for years.

The Houthis person targeted much than 90 merchant vessels pinch missiles and drones since nan Israel-Hamas warfare successful nan Gaza Strip started successful October 2023. They seized 1 vessel and sank 2 successful nan campaign that has besides killed 4 sailors. Other missiles and drones person either been intercepted by a U.S.-led conjugation successful nan Red Sea aliases grounded to scope their targets, which person included Western subject vessels arsenic well.

The rebels support that they target ships linked to Israel, nan U.S. aliases nan U.K. to unit an extremity to Israel’s run against Hamas successful Gaza. However, galore of nan ships attacked person small aliases nary relationship to nan conflict, including immoderate bound for Iran. The tempo of nan Houthi oversea attacks besides has waxed and waned complete nan months.

In October, the U.S. subject unleashed B-2 stealth bombers to target underground bunkers utilized by nan Houthis.